[COM] Festival Plaza Tower 1 | 115m | 27 Levels | Office

[Patrick_27]

I'm calling it early, this chunk of the riverside precinct is going to look f**king awful.

Why?

A convention centre with three different design elements that barely intertwine with one-another, a low-rise office building with dated cladding that pops up behind the convention centre, a hotel building that has retained its worst elements, (soon to be) a modern office building with an adjoining three level retail and hospitality building and the casino extension; behind all of this you have the mix and match of dated office buildings/office buildings that have received cheap and nasty 'facelifts' along North Terrace. To top it all off you have the three heritage buildings that remain to be the only features that have truly worked well with one-another (Parliament House, the Railway Station and the Festival Centre.)

I'm all for a bit of variety, but there is already way too much happening with this area and there is about to be a lot more of it. Either pick a design element that all those parties involved can agree on or don't bother with this development at all. I don't understand why the government hasn't imposed some kind of requirements for the InterContinental in terms of upgrading their facility, or why they haven't relocated the departments occupying the Riverside Centre and used that land to further expand the convention centre.

an urban design framework for the precinct shouldve been developed to work with the master plan

You're correct and it wasn't. Funny isn't it, this whole project has moved at a snails pace but the convention centre upgrade moved quite rapidly (by Adelaide standards) that there was almost zero consideration made for how they could incorporate the design of that facility in with the eventual festival plaza and casino developments. A part of me wishes we had the money to splurge and just flatten everything that isn't heritage listed in this area and start again... First point of order would be to burry four levels of car parking underneath the railway tracks, there's your parking issues for the area solved...

[stronic]

I really like the tower.

[Cranjer]

I really like the tower.

Me too. Looks to be a timeless design.

Can't say the same about the Convention Centre unfortunately... I agree with others that, as a whole, the buildings in the Riverbank Precinct don't appear as though they will compliment each other.

[Waewick]

I'm not fussed if they compliment each other too much - as long as the end result isn't ugly.

[bits]

I think the idea is the convention centre is supposed to look disconnected.

If it was giant single building it would be boring. The majority of this riverbank precinct is the convention centre and the 3 unrelated parts make it seem like more is going on there than there actually is.

Eg a friend recently took this photo of the area which I think looks great.

[Jaymz]

Great photo above. Agreed, that is quite a spectacular view on a clear, still night from KW Road. Had a friend visiting from Brasil a few months ago,
and as we drove into the city, she was taken aback by that exact view. Rather fancy by Radelaide standards. And now, in my opinion, we need
the casino expansion most of all, to complete the picture of a progressive and modern city.......and that will be Adelaide's future postcard shot,
if it isn't already.

[phenom]

I think the idea is the convention centre is supposed to look disconnected.

If it was giant single building it would be boring. The majority of this riverbank precinct is the convention centre and the 3 unrelated parts make it seem like more is going on there than there actually is.

Agreed. At first I thought it would have been better to make them more similar but then on reflection I think it would have just seemed monolithic and boring to have something so 'samey' over such a huge area.

[Splashmo]

I still can't believe we're putting an office tower in one of the premier public locations in Adelaide.

I lived in Adelaide for 25 years and didn't go there once.

I find that hard to believe. I'm not much more than 25 and I've been there many times, particularly in the last two years. This is a more popular area since the Adelaide Oval was done up and the footbridge was put in - you only have to look at events like the Night Noodle Market to see its potential. I believe it can still be popular once the upgrade is done, the casino is done and if there was a bit of space for restaurants and cafes - all without an office building. The whole idea of a plain glass box leaning over Parliament and the Festival Theatre makes me uncomfortable, especially its impact on the view we enjoy towards the city from the Torrens.

The only reason must be to get Walker Corp to pay for an upgrade we otherwise can't really afford.

[ghs]

From the Walker corporation website :

With the best office accommodation in Adelaide, aimed at 6 Green Star, the twin towers will attract local blue chip companies, interstate and global commercial tenants for the economic benefit of the state, while playing a part in bringing people into the square to be entertained after work.

1) In terms of 'interstate and global commercial tenants', we don't have a lot of that here in Adelaide.

2) The defence industry is obviously the future in SA, however a big defence company is not going to setup an office in the centre of the city.

Who are the tenants going to be given that there won't be any major government departments ?

[Patrick_27]

From the Walker corporation website :

With the best office accommodation in Adelaide, aimed at 6 Green Star, the twin towers will attract local blue chip companies, interstate and global commercial tenants for the economic benefit of the state, while playing a part in bringing people into the square to be entertained after work.

1) In terms of 'interstate and global commercial tenants', we don't have a lot of that here in Adelaide.

2) The defence industry is obviously the future in SA, however a big defence company is not going to setup an office in the centre of the city.

Who are the tenants going to be given that there won't be any major government departments ?

My money's on Westpac or Com Bank. The Com Bank building on KWS is seeking a major lease-holder (last I checked); and whilst I have no real reason to suggest Westpac, because of their size and the fact that they like to put their name on prominent landmarks, I could definitely see them jumping ship from the Westpac House and over to this building, snatching up the naming rights.

[Waewick]

From the Walker corporation website :

With the best office accommodation in Adelaide, aimed at 6 Green Star, the twin towers will attract local blue chip companies, interstate and global commercial tenants for the economic benefit of the state, while playing a part in bringing people into the square to be entertained after work.

1) In terms of 'interstate and global commercial tenants', we don't have a lot of that here in Adelaide.

2) The defence industry is obviously the future in SA, however a big defence company is not going to setup an office in the centre of the city.

Who are the tenants going to be given that there won't be any major government departments ?

My money's on Westpac or Com Bank. The Com Bank building on KWS is seeking a major lease-holder (last I checked); and whilst I have no real reason to suggest Westpac, because of their size and the fact that they like to put their name on prominent landmarks, I could definitely see them jumping ship from the Westpac House and over to this building, snatching up the naming rights.

CBA would be my bet - their bulding is B grade at best.

[Brando]

From the Walker corporation website :

With the best office accommodation in Adelaide, aimed at 6 Green Star, the twin towers will attract local blue chip companies, interstate and global commercial tenants for the economic benefit of the state, while playing a part in bringing people into the square to be entertained after work.

1) In terms of 'interstate and global commercial tenants', we don't have a lot of that here in Adelaide.

2) The defence industry is obviously the future in SA, however a big defence company is not going to setup an office in the centre of the city.

Who are the tenants going to be given that there won't be any major government departments ?

Hang on a second... ' the twin towers'..!

I thought there was only one tower going up?

[Norman]

From the Walker corporation website :

With the best office accommodation in Adelaide, aimed at 6 Green Star, the twin towers will attract local blue chip companies, interstate and global commercial tenants for the economic benefit of the state, while playing a part in bringing people into the square to be entertained after work.

1) In terms of 'interstate and global commercial tenants', we don't have a lot of that here in Adelaide.

2) The defence industry is obviously the future in SA, however a big defence company is not going to setup an office in the centre of the city.

Who are the tenants going to be given that there won't be any major government departments ?

Hang on a second... ' the twin towers'..!

I thought there was only one tower going up?

Not sure if the latest render we have is the final design, but the one we can see is split into two adjoining towers, both at the same height but the smaller one with a slight break-up 1/3 of the way up.

[Brando]

Thanks mate, I can see what you mean in the 'concept' render.

I'm still hopeful this is just a concept and we're blown away with a design this location truly deserves once all contracts and formalities are in place

[serca]

I think the whole riverbank precinct is already looking fantastic and will only get better. The arched bridge connects the architectural master piece that is the Adelaide Oval perfectly.

The acute angels and large glass frontage of Stage 3 of the convention centre ties together the festival theatre's and Stage 1 of the convention centre. Stage 2 is awkward but it has grown on me and seems to oddly fit in.

The medical hub has and will have our most innovative and spectacular buildings. And the higher rise of the 2 new uni buildings will give their presence without being over bearing to the Plaza area.

Once the River front is landscaped and the new festive plaza is complete along with the office tower, restaurants and retail , and eventually the casino this area will kick arse and be a destination for locals and tourists. About time! Bring it on