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

[Patrick_27]

^^^ i'd be happy if they just painted the lift cores at the IC

Clad the life cores, paint the remainder of the building. Something darker.

[Nathan]

The lift cores are fine, no to painting or cladding. Remove the dark grey panel behind the signage though.

[CharlSx]

^^^ i'd be happy if they just painted the lift cores at the IC

Clad the life cores, paint the remainder of the building. Something darker.

Some kind of LED lighting display would look great. Won't happen.

[Nort]

^^^ i'd be happy if they just painted the lift cores at the IC

Clad the life cores, paint the remainder of the building. Something darker.

Some kind of LED lighting display would look great. Won't happen.

Careful what you wish for, the Adelaideans ain't exactly thrilling.

[I Follow PAFC]

Breakthrough on stalled $600m Plaza upgrade
GOING AHEAD After eight years of wrangling between billionaire Lang Walker and the State Government, there’s finally been a major breakthrough on the $600 million Festival Plaza project.

Subscriber Only.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 723acb3594

[Patrick_27]

Breakthrough on stalled $600m Plaza upgrade
GOING AHEAD After eight years of wrangling between billionaire Lang Walker and the State Government, there’s finally been a major breakthrough on the $600 million Festival Plaza project.

Subscriber Only.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 723acb3594

A headline that gives nothing away!

[I Follow PAFC]

Breakthrough on stalled $600m Plaza upgrade
GOING AHEAD After eight years of wrangling between billionaire Lang Walker and the State Government, there’s finally been a major breakthrough on the $600 million Festival Plaza project.

Subscriber Only.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 723acb3594

A headline that gives nothing away!

I am not a subscriber and will not be.

[gnrc_louis]

The new Festival Plaza and towers as seen from above in an artist’s concept.
The new Festival Plaza and towers as seen from above in an artist’s concept.
SA News
$600 million redevelopment of Adelaide’s Festival Plaza poised to go ahead – finally
Paul Starick, Chief Reporter, The Advertiser
April 21, 2020 8:00pm

The long-awaited $600 million Festival Plaza development, including a 27-storey office tower between the Adelaide Casino and Parliament House, finally is poised to go ahead after a compromise between billionaire Lang Walker and the State Government.

In a potential end to eight years of wrangling over the prime Riverbank site, the Government has added $31 million to its previous $222.35 million budget to overhaul the public square.

The revised plans, revealed to The Advertiser, include dual escalators at the northern side of the Adelaide Railway Station entrance, linking the plaza with the lower-level southern end of the Riverbank Footbridge.


Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said the revised plans had been submitted to the State Commission Assessment Panel as an update to those approved in 2016 and, pending another round of approvals, work was expected to start this year and be finished in 2023.

It is understood some architectural changes to the office tower incorporate requests from major tenants that Walker Corporation has secured for the building, which includes 40,000sq m of premium space for about 4000 workers.

Mr Knoll said this would mean more than $1 billion of both private and publicly funded investment in and around the Riverbank precinct, declaring the new Festival Plaza design would ensure “a beautiful open space for all South Australians to enjoy”.

“The Festival Plaza public realm will be a new events and open public space in the heart of the Riverbank precinct that will continue the area’s transformation,” Mr Knoll said.

“The new Festival Plaza designs will ensure this is a world-class events space and can facilitate larger crowds than the initial design.”

He said the upgraded plaza would be capable of hosting thousands of people for events and gatherings, which would be a “huge boost for tourism, businesses and local jobs”.

“It will include shaded and leafy areas for people to relax and have lunch, a unique South Australian-first ‘misting’ water feature, the provision of free Wi-Fi access and many other features,” Mr Knoll said.

“This open-space design will be complemented by outdoor dining areas and associated retail activities, meaning it will become a destination for locals and tourists alike.”

The revised plans include more security bollards, along with paving and landscaping up to the area between the Adelaide Festival Centre and Dunstan Playhouse shells.

The Advertiser last year revealed Walker Corporation had proposed a hotel on the plaza’s eastern edge, fronting King William Rd and just to the north of Parliament House. Both the hotel and a proposed second office tower were rejected because the Government believed this would have triggered a renegotiation of the deal.

The former Labor government in 2012 gave Walker Corporation exclusive rights to develop the precinct.

[ChillyPhilly]

I'm just hoping it honours the 2015 vision. The thick forest-like landscaping on the eastern edge of the Plaza would have been really cool and unique.

[SRW]

Does anyone have the images mentioned in the article?

I'm annoyed the state is almost fully funding the public realm upgrade now. It's outrageous that a private developer is basically being given public land for free. What on earth does Walker Corp have over the government that gives them such leverage?!

[Goodsy]

Does anyone have the images mentioned in the article?

I'm annoyed the state is almost fully funding the public realm upgrade now. It's outrageous that a private developer is basically being given public land for free. What on earth does Walker Corp have over the government that gives them such leverage?!

[Patrick_27]

So let me get this straight... Walker has pretty much wiggled his way out of paying for the plaza and is now only covering costs for the office tower and the adjoining cafe-restaurant building? So why are the government letting him build on public land when there isn't really anything from his contribution that will benefit taxpayers?

Also, outdoor escalators are awful, why are they needed? There's an elevator in the tunnel to the railway station...

[ChillyPhilly]

Thanks for posting those render photos. I'm pleased that it hasn't deteriorated from the 2015 vision too much, which is a good thing. It will be crucial to get this project right and turn a mere 'space' into a 'place' that people value and enjoy.

[SRW]

A few things about this:

• how goddam overwhelming is the scale of that tower, especially now it appears they've abandoned any architectural articulation
• I struggle to see what the retail/commerce building contributes to the plaza over & above what's already in the area (there's a bunch of restaurants at the casino or promenade already). This building should really be a civic institution (like, say, a contemporary art gallery) as another reason for people to go here
• the plaza area above the banquet room is really unresolved and awkward, which gives further impetus to the idea of placing a concert hall there to better address the surrounds and invite people in

[Eurostar]

The area looks like it will be very crowded, i dont like the tower behind the parliament house either (that'll be like putting a tower next to the Australian Parliament House)