Soaring property prices and shrinking land supply are driving the skinny building trend in major cities across the world, with developers seeking to maximise the value of small properties by building slim and tall towers to house luxurious residences.
In south-east Queensland’s most in-demand lifestyle-driven suburbs along the Gold Coast, six slender apartment towers designed by international architecture practice Plus Architecture will be brought to life over the next five years. These projects reflect a new wave of high-rise designs maximising small land parcels to deliver super-luxe residential experiences.
Observing that the slender tower concept is highly suited to luxury multi-residential projects, Plus Architecture principal Chrisney Formosa explains, “Very small sites present an opportunity for unique architectural solutions as they require an individualised design approach. In the high-end property market, being able to deliver a boutique design that is highly customised to the site is what helps a project truly stand out.”
“Beyond that, skinny towers also easily allow for full floor or two-storey apartments with 360-degree views, making them a prime solution for luxury multi-residential coastal living – offering all the benefits of a standalone house and more.”
Formosa shares a selection of five Plus Architecture-designed slender tower projects that demonstrate how architects can best reimagine small sites to deliver boutique living, even when space is limited.
1. Myst
Project constraints allow architects to challenge themselves to create unique solutions that also turn out the most beautiful, says Formosa.
“Located on a small 670sqm site on the Gold Coast’s First Avenue, Myst was one of these opportunities and has been the evolution of a successful partnership between the developer Orenda and the Plus architectural team.”
The bespoke luxury development offers 46 apartments across 33 storeys, with plans including bedrooms to the south and living to the north, oriented to capture panoramic views of the coastline. A four-bedroom penthouse featuring a private rooftop area and pool tops the tower.
The ground floor podium will interweave with the street through a layering of landscape housing a large pool and recreation terrace and an open tropical garden lobby experience.
2. La Mer
Designing a boutique apartment tower requires the architect to think out of the ordinary by doing things differently, and reimagining how to use the smaller sites to their best potential to ensure they become a valuable addition to the urban streetscape.
La Mer is a boutique apartment tower located in arguably one of the Gold Coast’s most iconic locations – Main Beach, a small enclave of properties in an exclusive reserve surrounded by water.
Redesigned by Plus Architecture, La Mer features 20 apartments, including one of the largest penthouses in Main Beach, each oriented to capture ocean views.
“Unique to La Mer is that half the tower comprises double-storey, fully customisable sub penthouses, a boutique approach made possible by the slender design. More of a ‘sky home’ and less of an apartment, these vertical residences are elevated far above the typical apartment living experience.”
3. Aurum
Skinny towers tend to have smaller floor plates suited to whole-floor apartments. At Aurum, Plus Architecture went a step further by providing eight luxurious two-floor apartments spread across 16 levels, along with parking, recreational amenity and a private rooftop pool for the penthouse.
Designed for Vaun Developments, the 20-storey slender tower features a curvaceous design, reflecting the character of its location in the heart of Chevron Island on the Gold Coast. The project further features a double height lobby and two floors of luxury amenities, including a wet deck with pool, spa, steam room and ice baths, and a dry deck with a gymnasium, yoga studio and plans for a Himalayan salt wall.
“With its rigorously refined architecture, Aurum is designed to turn heads,” says Formosa.
4. 20 Mary Avenue
The 19-storey tower designed by Plus Architecture at 20 Mary Avenue is built on just 506sqm of land. Taking cues from natural forms and the coastal lifestyle, the design is beautiful, but considered, functional and lasting.
Offering an exclusive collection of 17 full-floor apartments in the sought-after pocket of Broadbeach, the project’s design concept blends seamlessly with the location of the site.
Formosa says skinny tower designs require smart design approaches in order to offer living spaces that are of exceptional quality with the most efficient service and traffic outcomes.
“By opening the lift straight into the apartment and keeping utility spaces compact, we can maximise living space and deliver a penthouse experience on every level.”
5. Nineteen First Avenue
Located within the highly desirable beachside border precinct of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Nineteen First Avenue features a pinched-in tower shape to maximise views and light for the 35 apartments built over 38 storeys.
The tower’s dynamic, overlapping rippled forms are inspired by the interaction of water, wind and sand. The apartments feature balconies and living spaces oriented towards water views on the narrow site, while a design palette of soft textures, vertical aluminium screening, textured concrete, and a verdant landscaped ground floor entry combine to deliver a luxurious residential experience.
“Every part of the architecture has been finely crafted to maximise luxury – inspired by the dynamic yet graceful theatre of the ocean,” Formosa says.
