The project was always envisaged as a two tower configuration that could be staged and accommodate a diverse range of uses, including hotel, residential apartments and 5,000 sqm of office space. The podium houses the foyers, restaurants, bars and café, along with the ballroom, spa, pools, gym and theatrette. At the ground plane, a retail thoroughfare reconnects some of the city's vital pedestrian ways.

The design stems from the intent to avoid the traditional 'repetitious floorplan' typology and introduce a shifting form into the building structure, fostering character and creating a distinctive 'address' for the development.

DESIGN DESCRIPTION

The redevelopment of the Dolphin Arcade site presented the challenge of locating two significant towers and associated podiums on a key site, one that plays a significant role in the recreation and regeneration of the city centre.

At ground level the planning focuses on retaining urban connections linking the Gold Coast Boulevard, Orchid Avenue and Cavill Avenue, as well as reinforcing the edge of the district while creating new view corridors and public spaces. A plaza sits at the base of the towers acting as a collection space to draw the pedestrian flow eastward into the development, responding to the circulation spine introduced by the development to the west of this site.

A strong sense of geometric form emerges throughout the planning. Tower forms are generated by a series of circles and arcs in both horizontal and vertical planes. The impact of this geometry not only exists in the tower forms but is echoed in the podium levels. The varied geometries create smaller elements and volumes lending human scale as they aid the organisation of complex pedestrian movement.

The eastern tower, which houses 169 hotel rooms and 224 residential apartments, is organised around a 'central' core with the low-rise lift banks falling away on the western end of the floors as the building rises. This works in parallel with the curved nature of the western façade, allowing efficient planning to all floors.

This façade is designed as a powerful and dramatic gesture, yet allows the tower to take on a slender appearance as the footprint reduces as it rises.

The west tower contains 168 apartments and responds to the eastern structure and the view corridors created by this relationship and other localised conditions. Its reduced height, as compared to the east tower, allows the footprints to slide south, preserving the view corridor to the east. This was considered necessary, taking into account the future development of the neighbouring southern site. In contrast to the east tower, the bowing façade is separated in its articulation from the mass by deep reveals at both vertical edges, enhancing its role as an independent layer.

The difference in height between the two towers ensures the individual identity of each building.

ACCOLADES

National Project of the Year, Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Awards 2012

Best New Hotel of the Year, HM Awards 2012

Master Builders National Excellence in Building and Construction Awards, Commercial Master Builder of the Year, 2012

PRODUCTS

JOINERY
ABET LAMINATI, BAF, BARESQUE, BORAL, BRIGGS VENEERS, CAESARSTONE, CORIAN/CASF, EVENEER, HAFELE AUSTRALIA, LAMINEX

LIGHTING
BLOOMINGDALES, COLLINGWOOD LIGHTING, EASY LIVING HOME ELEVATION, ECC, INLITE, LIGHT PROJECT, MERCATOR LIGHTING, YELLOW GOAT

HARDWARE
ABE, DESIGNER DOORWARE, LAMINEX, LOCKWOOD

CARPET
BRINTONS, FELTEX CARPETS, UNDERLAY DUNLOP FLOORING, SKIRTING MODULINE

ENTRY MATTING
INTERNATIONAL FLOOR COVERINGS

WALL COVERINGS
HUME, DECOR SYSTEM PAINT DULUX, RESENE, LAMICOLOR

WINDOW TREATMENTS
TURNER BROTHERS, VERDE AGENCIES/ROYLSTON HOUSE, VEROSOL, VERTILUX

TILES & STONE
ACE STONE & TILE, AMBER ALBION, CAESARSTONE, CLASSIC CERAMICS, COLOURTILE, MAPEI, METZ TILES, ROCKS ON, SILVERLAKE, SMARTSTONE, SNB STONE, SLATE & STONE, STONE SPEC

VINYL FLOOR & WALL COVERINGS
ALTRO, ARMSTRONG, FORBO FLOORING

WOOD/BAMBOO FLOORING
STYLE PLANTATION, BORAL

GLASS & MIRROR
G JAMES, GRAPHIC GLASS, MITEX, VIRIDIAN

LIFTS
KONE

FIXTURES & FITTINGS
DEBETREK, HAFELE, HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL, LAMELEC AUSTRALIA

PLUMBING FIXTURES
AQUA CONCEPTS, ARGENT, AUSTWORLD, BATHE, CASA LUSSO, LINKWARE AUSTRALIA, HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL, METHVEN AUSTRALIA, RAK BATHWARE, STEGBAR, STUDIO BAGNO, TASMAN SINKWARE

AMENITY & PLUMBING ACCESSORIES
BARBEN INDUSTRIES, BRADLEY, HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL, INTERSPACE AUSTRALIA, JD MACDONALD, KEELER HARDWARE, STEGBAR, STREAMLINE PRODUCTS