1 Spring Street Melbourne

In central Melbourne, a new 150-meter signature tower will emerge from a plot endowed with architecturally impressive history. The project’s L-shaped site is nestled on the corner of Melbourne’s Spring and Flinders Streets. The area is currently home to two heritage structures, Shell House and Milton House, a former private hospital.

1 Spring Street’s design envisions a landmark tower that will emphasize economic, ecological and social sustainability. This future-oriented development combines a vibrant public realm with state-of-the-art office spaces, boasting more than 43,000 square meters of GFA. To utilize the difficult plot configuration, our design starts from a friendly neighbor approach: The tower sweeps over Milton House in a gentle arc, allowing it to remain a prominent component in the precinct. A public plaza will act as a catalyst enhancing the area’s overall vibrancy and uniting the new tower, Shell House and Milton House. The amphitheater-like steps in the middle of the site truly are the heart of the development and constitute a shared and interactive space. It creates genuine connectivity and honors the two listed buildings by moving them into the social spotlight. On the pedestrian level, we aim to provide a lively public and urban link between Flinders Lane and Throssell Lane. This open connection between the three buildings creates an attractive ensemble that maintains their different identities around a common center.

The tower features a radial design with the core on the far-eastern side. With its off-center core, our proposal maximizes both the views to the outside and sunlight intake. The new tower’s elegant and innovative design does not only follow an environmentally sustainable approach but also expresses a deep understanding of the illustrious surroundings: The building’s graceful shape is oriented to harness the breath-taking views due north and north-west. Its sliced silhouette reduces overshadowing its neighbors and the building’s orientation responds best to the sun’s course. It is shaped organically and has a façade consisting of concave panels. Rather than adding another layer of solar screens, this concavity helps towards providing the building with self-shading: The building’s skin shape creates shadows unlike any smooth surface. The Australian climate requires a façade that is lightly insulated but offers strong protection from the sun. Our simple design proposal offers high transparency paired with an innovative sun shading solution. The roof is designed as a slanted area forming beautifully green sky terraces with integrated solar collectors. In addition, the lush greenery provides a wholesome refuge for staff and visitors and also helps to combat the urban heat island effect.

The façade and the roofs boast integrated solar panels, raising the structure’s energetic efficiency considerably. In conjunction with an intelligent façade, the building will be able to supply up to 30% of its own energy requirements. Solar power to support mechanical cooling will be available on a need-be basis. True to our supergreen®-approach, we endeavor to use recycled steel and concrete. Moreover, we aim to use component activation, efficient rain- and storm water harvesting and top-of-the-line waste management systems. A special feature is the catalytic façade coating to tackle problematic air quality that plagues modern cities: In a passive chemical process, the façade will break down poisonous ozone into oxygen. Using this eclectic mix of these green building blocks, a 6 star Green Star certification, a 5.5 Star NABERS energy and a 4.5 star NABERS water certification are in the cards!

The new tower will contribute to green mobility by providing bicycle parking, showers and lockers. Well-integrated end-of-trip facilities are crucial to architecture’s role in promoting carbon-neutral travel.