DBI Design has submitted a proposal for a mixed use development in the Brisbane suburb of Milton.
Located on an island site bordered by Railway Terrace and Cribb, McDougall and Crombie Streets, ‘The Cosmopolitan’ is one of a string of recent and incoming developments for Milton that are over 30-storeys high.
Three hundred and forty eight apartments will be split across two different sized towers, one 21-storeys, the other 29. They’ll be footed by a shared podium with retail tenancies, pools, barbeque areas, a residents lounge and gym.
Floorplates are oriented so the majority of apartments receive eastern exposure
This tower form variety is used to break down the apparent mass and provide visual interest
The site is located at the gateway to Milton and as such the architects endeavoured to create a building that is unique, recognisable, and in tune with the Queensland Subtropical lifestyles. Both the towers feature a horizontal patternation of white ribbons, formed by the exposed slab edges of the balconies that wrap the majority of each floorplate’s perimeter. The ribbon turns into a swirl as the towers meet the podium with large expanses of flowing white concrete creating a fluid yet robust façade for the bottom three-storeys.
The shapes of the towers have been smoothed so that the edges of the tower are less perceptible, assisting in creating the illusion of further separation
The towers have been designed with sculptured roof forms stepping gradually back over multiple floors
According to the architects, the towers’ floor plate size, separation and heights were all on the forefront of the design process. The shapes of the footprints are such the majority of units face east for solar orientation and city views. The shapes have also be smoothed so that the edges of the tower are less perceptible, which assist in a creating the illusion of further separation between the towers. The geometry is also softer, in contrast the present architecture in the catchment which are more rectilinear.
While sculptural and unique in its own right, The Cosmopolitan development is considerably more conservative than what we’re used to from DBI. The international firm recently received approval for an 88-storey Gold Coast tower which has golden stacked floorplates, and are also responsible for the $950m triple-tower Jewel resort at Surfers Paradise.
DBI are also responsible for the design of Infinity Tower in Brisbane which was the only Australian skyscraper to make the top ten world skyscrapers list compiled by Emporis in 2014.
A development proposal for The Cosmopolitan is currently being assessed by the Brisbane City Council.
Images: DBI Design
