[PRO] 292-300 Rundle Street | 68m | 21 Levels | Mixed Use

[crowdoc]

I cannot recall a DAC proposal having a Refuse recommendation before. There must be significant concerns about the proposal. It looks like something from the Gold Coast in the 1980s. The Architect who is doing such a great job of restoring the Stag Hotel at present, is not going to be happy.

[Jaymz]

All of the renders in that group of 5 above look interesting to me, apart from the top left one.

[SRW]

Nope.

Totally insensitive proposal.

Looks like one of those Brisbane/Gold Coast residential high rises that visually impose on their surroundings and contribute nothing at street level. Even the original proposal that Ben showed was poorly-considered -- IMO, too commercial and overbearing.

I'm pretty flexible about proposals that bring residents into the city, but not ones that would compromise one of the reasons for wanting to live there in the first place. The East End/Rundle Street is one the city's best assets and we need to recognise and protect what makes it special. I run a business in the area and routinely have overseas and interstate visitors commend the character of the East End; admittedly anecdotal, but it instinctively rings true.

More apartments would be a welcome addition to the area if thoughtfully done. For example, I could imagine a developer like Guavalime coming up with something more appropriate for the location.

[slenderman]

The more I see this one, the less I like it. I think the shape is at least interesting and I like that it isn't another box, and it may work better on another site like that empty one on Waymouth Street or maybe in Glenelg, but there are some key issues with it in my opinion (not that I'm an architect or anything).

1. It's too close to the street for the height that it is in those surroundings. I know it's slightly set back, but it's still far too close to Rundle Street. It might work if it was set a bit further from the street. I just whipped up a 79m box in Sketchup/Google Earth, and it completely dwarves anything nearby, especially the 2-3 floor Rundle Street frontages it is competing with.
2. Not too sure how to articulate it, but it looks too "1990s dominating" in that like most '90s buildings, it's not an offensive building standing alone, but it does not complement the heritage nearby.
3. Don't like that little bit that overhangs the heritage buildings slightly.
4. Blue/Green/White colour scheme looks weird.

I'm not too sure this is the sort of design that suits Adelaide, looks more like something that would go up in Brisbane/Gold Coast as crowdoc said. That's not necessarily bad, but I don't think we should be building highrises on Rundle Street when we've still got heaps of space on streets like Currie, Waymouth or Franklin where this sort of building would look much better/suitable.

Also, what's that orange box next to it in some renders?

[ghs]

I think Rundle street desperately needs a couple of new buildings of some sort. The area's looking pretty
run down these days especially in comparision to City West and South Terrace where there's
plenty of new building going up.

[SRW]

Also, what's that orange box next to it in some renders?

I think it indicates the 53 metre nominal height limit for the area. The developer believes they can exceed this because they meet a minimal number of conditions and have an unquenchable thirst for dollars.

Not to sound intemperate, but further reflecting on the comments the developer made about the design review, leaves me with the impression that they're following the "stack 'em and pack 'em" model of overdevelopment. Remember, they initially wanted to build to 90 metres.

I think Rundle street desperately needs a couple of new buildings of some sort. The area's looking pretty
run down these days especially in comparision to City West and South Terrace where there's
plenty of new building going up.

I can't see how Rundle Street could be described even remotely as "run down". A lack of new buildings in an already developed area certainly doesn't indicate that it is run down, especially when several buildings have been or are being refurbished.

[Nathan]

Whilst there are a handful of average tenancies on Rundle St, by and large it's one of the best kept areas in Adelaide. Buildings are well presented and maintained, and most tenants take a lot of pride in their fit outs.

I agree with others. Whilst I actually quite like the building in isolation, it's definitely not sympathetic to its location in the slightest. I'm not adverse to height in the East End, but it needs to be substantially set back (middle of the block), so that the human scale of the street is maintained (3-4 levels). The blue and green accents are definitely not in keeping with the area. Almost the entirety of the East End is heritage buildings, and the few newer buildings along the street are well integrated.

[Pants]

I like the fact that it's not your standard box, but it's a bit too 1990s Gold Coast for me. It already looks dated and completely out-of-place.

Edit: just seen that others have said pretty much exactly the same thing. Nice to know I'm not alone on this.

[floplo]

Not a huge fan of the design in general but it's definitely the wrong location.

With the colour scheme it might fit better on the old RAH site (obviously conditional on the master plan there) bordering the Botanic Gardens.

[rev]

I think Rundle street desperately needs a couple of new buildings of some sort. The area's looking pretty
run down these days especially in comparision to City West and South Terrace where there's
plenty of new building going up.

Not really. A "face lift" of what's already there in most cases will over come that.

[ghs]

I can't see how Rundle Street could be described even remotely as "run down". A lack of new buildings in an already developed area certainly doesn't indicate that it is run down, especially when several buildings have been or are being refurbished.

Mate, I can't see how Rundle Street couldn't be described as "run down".

1) The buildings are old and there's not many which are higher then 10 levels.
2) There's new cinemas opening on Hindley street
3) All the night life is in the West End these days
4) There's a new hotel about to be constructed on Hindley Street.
5) It's too far to walk from Adelaide oval to the East End for a Pint after the game.
6) There will be a lack of vibrancy in the area next year when the existing RAH closes.
7) The East End is a long way from the casino which will most likely be upgraded in a few years time.

In my opinion the East end has nothing going for it these days. The west end is taking over.

[crawf]

[Patrick_27]

I can't see how Rundle Street could be described even remotely as "run down". A lack of new buildings in an already developed area certainly doesn't indicate that it is run down, especially when several buildings have been or are being refurbished.

Mate, I can't see how Rundle Street couldn't be described as "run down".

1) The buildings are old and there's not many which are higher then 10 levels.
2) There's new cinemas opening on Hindley street
3) All the night life is in the West End these days
4) There's a new hotel about to be constructed on Hindley Street.
5) It's too far to walk from Adelaide oval to the East End for a Pint after the game.
6) There will be a lack of vibrancy in the area next year when the existing RAH closes.
7) The East End is a long way from the casino which will most likely be upgraded in a few years time.

In my opinion the East end has nothing going for it these days. The west end is taking over.

Wow, if these materialistic things are what's necessary to provide you with a good time, you can have them.

As far as I'm concerned, Rundle Street still remains to be the best place to go for a good night out and without spending more than what's necessary. Hindley on the other hand, whether you're going to the casino or you're paying $15-25 entry for a venue - it's an expensive place to have a good time.

And on the topic of "run down" buildings. You have a crazy idea of what defines run down...

1) Since when does having buildings of ten or more levels define the quality of an area? Glenelg has a lot of buildings at this height and it's still a hole unless it's Summer.
2) "New" cinemas? You mean old cinemas that are being reopened after some minor refurbishments... Palace Nova will still be a better place to see a film purely because it's closer to the mall than the Greater Union's cinemas are.
3) Says who? Have you actually been to the East End on a Friday or Saturday night?
4) So what? Why does Rundle Street need to have anymore more hotels nearby?
5) Who cares? Changing the buildings along Rundle Street won't change this...
6) Tell me, what vibrancy does the RAH currently provide Rundle Street? A part from a few staff and visitors who buy their lunch from places along Rundle Street, most other staff and patients would rarely find their way to the street during their day to enjoy what it has to offer.
7) Again, who really cares? The casino is a hole, and when it's upgraded will still continue to serve the kinds of people who party along Hindley Street.

I think you're just trying to find a reason to justify building genuinely shit high-rise buildings along one of Adelaide's most beautiful city streets.

[Honey of a City]

I can't see how Rundle Street could be described even remotely as "run down". A lack of new buildings in an already developed area certainly doesn't indicate that it is run down, especially when several buildings have been or are being refurbished.

Mate, I can't see how Rundle Street couldn't be described as "run down".

1) The buildings are old and there's not many which are higher then 10 levels.
2) There's new cinemas opening on Hindley street
3) All the night life is in the West End these days
4) There's a new hotel about to be constructed on Hindley Street.
5) It's too far to walk from Adelaide oval to the East End for a Pint after the game.
6) There will be a lack of vibrancy in the area next year when the existing RAH closes.
7) The East End is a long way from the casino which will most likely be upgraded in a few years time.

In my opinion the East end has nothing going for it these days. The west end is taking over.

The East end and the West end currently serve two different demographics, and Adelaide is big enough and prosperous enough (despite the gloom merchants) to sustain the vibrancy of both. As a regular imbiber and movie-goer to Place Nova I see the Rundle St restaurants, pubs and cafes jumping, even on Monday and Tuesday nights. If the government gets the old RAH development right, and encourages appropriate development in the East end and Kent Town, this area has the potential to further flourish big time. As for the proposed building design this thread's about - agree that the design is far too Godzilla for this area. High rise could well be appropriate but hope that DAC sends them back to the drawing board with a brief to respect the local built environment.

[Nathan]

Mate, I can't see how Rundle Street couldn't be described as "run down".

1) The buildings are old and there's not many which are higher then 10 levels.
2) There's new cinemas opening on Hindley street
3) All the night life is in the West End these days
4) There's a new hotel about to be constructed on Hindley Street.
5) It's too far to walk from Adelaide oval to the East End for a Pint after the game.
6) There will be a lack of vibrancy in the area next year when the existing RAH closes.
7) The East End is a long way from the casino which will most likely be upgraded in a few years time.

In my opinion the East end has nothing going for it these days. The west end is taking over.

1) The buildings may be old, but are well maintained with excellent street level presence.
2) And there are cinemas on Rundle St too, which do and will continue to show a much more diverse range of film (as well as hosting numerous film festivals throughout the year)
3) Night life in the East End is strong too, both with pubs, and new bars opening like Mothervine and NOLA
4) There's plenty of hotels around the East End, including the fairly new Crowne Plaza
5) Does not make it run down
6) This one is a genuine concern. The staff at the RAH supply a lot of day time trade around Rundle St. What the government does with the RAH site is very important. (I'm glad they moved the high school location, as that would not have solved the issue)
7) So?

One of the key things about Rundle St and the East End is that it's one of the few places in Adelaide that has both day and night trade. A lot of work has gone on transforming the area over the past 5 or so years, particularly from Frome St to East Tce. There's a lot of good boutiques, and an increasing diversity of cafes and restaurants (not just the traditional Italian and Asian places). Ebenezer Pl and Vardon Ave have been providing a good setting for smaller start up shops and businesses to get in the area without the rent costs that a Rundle St frontage may have. Other cross and side streets need work (particularly Frome St and Vaughan Pl, but that will slowly come.