[SWP] Festival Plaza Tower 2 | 160m | 38 Levels | Office

[Benm16]

I am happy for this site and height but the design is such a down grade from the original proposal. The curved corners and tapered top made the first design feel more sympathetic to its surroundings whereas this new design is so harsh. It’s also wider than the previous design and the podium is much more solid than before completely wiping out the view of parliament which was Mali’s argument of why we need this tower in the first place. You can see we went from a glass atrium along the side of the parliament and now we have a solid concrete facade which will completely obstruct the view of parliament. It’s just poor design and planning, it shows this building does not consider its surroundings. There also seems to be a huge decrease in the level of street activation which will have a huge disadvantage to the square.

The architects show be ashamed of proposing this watered down bland box as this should be a tower that truly is iconic as it will be the new face of Adelaide for many many years to come.

[VinyTapestry849]

Here are the three design changes, in case anyone has forgotten

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[Mpol02]

I do prefer the shape of the OG. Shame they needed to down grade but in this case it isn’t bad.

Happy for the height increase? With this was elsewhere still.

[Bobski]

Yeah, same; the original was more elegant IMO. The diamonds feel a little gimmicky to me.

But the extra height is cool, the views will be amazing, and I'm excited to watch it go up

[AndyWelsh]

Yeah, same; the original was more elegant IMO. The diamonds feel a little gimmicky to me.

But the extra height is cool, the views will be amazing, and I'm excited to watch it go up

After Adelaide University tried to suggest their new monogram echoes the angles of the Adelaide Festival Centre, I’m surprised the architects of this update didn’t do the same.

[AndyWelsh]

Yeah, same; the original was more elegant IMO. The diamonds feel a little gimmicky to me.

You can actually get Chat GPT to make a case for anything If this ends up in marketing material, we know where it came from:

Diamonds and harlequin patterns have strong historical connections to theatre and festivals:

Harlequin Pattern:
The diamond-shaped pattern is famously associated with the Harlequin character from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, a theatrical tradition dating back to the 16th century. Harlequin’s costume featured a bold diamond pattern, symbolising mischief, wit, and agility—qualities essential to performance and festival energy.

Circus and Carnival Aesthetics: Diamond and checkered patterns are often used in circus tents, carnival signage, and jesters’ costumes, reinforcing a sense of spectacle, playfulness, and theatricality.

Stage and Set Design: Diamonds frequently appear in stage backdrops, particularly in musical theatre, cabaret, and vaudeville, adding depth, drama, and a sense of movement to performances.

If the building is in a plaza known for theatre and festivals, its triangular and diamond shapes could subtly nod to this rich artistic history—echoing the lively, unpredictable, and expressive world of performance.


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[Bobski]

After Adelaide University tried to suggest their new monogram echoes the angles of the Adelaide Festival Centre, I’m surprised the architects of this update didn’t do the same.

No no it's quite clearly a re-imagining of/tribute to the Flugelman sculptures

Source


I really don't mind it, I just think it will date quickly, and be a bastard to clean.

Edit: That blurb is amazing! How much shall we charge them for our marketing services?

[VinyTapestry849]

That actually low key makes sense… directly behind the festival centre and all that. Matches the sculptures directly in front.

See I didn’t actually like either of the previous versions of this building to be honest. They both looked like vapes with very little architectural merit to them. It gave the NIMBY losers in north Adelaide a foot stool to stand on to complain that it was just “another glass tower”.

This new design is striking and extremely unique in Australia, whichever way you look at it. It will be an icon of our city, good or bad!

Would never have known that historical diamond connection without you pointing that out, thanks Andy.

[Bobski]

I legitimately like the design a lot more now that we have made our own artistic case for it

[AndyWelsh]

The Flugelman sculptures too; of course! I’ll update our PR material for the building if someone can send Walker our invoice


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[rev]

So the new design by night has a 'crown' lit up, but by day there's no visual 'crown'?

Personally I think the first and second designs win in that regard. It would have been something different on the skyline.

[bits]

Here are the three design changes, in case anyone has forgotten

What is this building?

[Bobski]

You need to go a few pages back for the details on that one. It was ultimately relocated to Glenside upon request from local residents because they love high rise apartments so much

[VinyTapestry849]

Here are the three design changes, in case anyone has forgotten

What is this building?

Jokes

[Ben]

The public realm of this proposal is attricious. Not only that moving this many workers to a site which has no retail or lunch options and out of the core cbd where those businesses will ultimately suffer. All so malinauskus gets a vanity project.