Seascape is a design collaboration between developers, Shundi, and Peddle Thorp, one of Australasia’s leading architectural firms. Together they have undertaken the redevelopment of this prominent corner site which includes two existing buildings: Ballantyne House – which is being converted into a boutique hotel - and the heritage building formerly known as the Britomart Hotel which will be extensively refurbished.
Seascape stands an impressive 187m high. 48 of the 52 total floors are occupiable (not including the 5 levels of basement parking).
The podium occupies the bottom 7 floors. On the ground floor, the double-height Grand Lobby travels the full width of the building from Custom Street East to Gore Street Lane where the entrance to the Apartment lobby is located. The ramp to the basement parking and the VIP car lifts are also accessed from Gore Street Lane. There are retail tenancies on the ground and first floors, with two levels of VIP parking then two levels of offices above this. On Level 7, there is a stunning pool with fitness room and changing facilities.
The main volume of the tower is comprised of 4 apartment types with Sub-penthouses and Penthouses from Level 41. Seascape’s soaring glass façade is an ambitious architectural feat that has required a close collaboration between developers, architects, engineers, and contractors. The design outcome is a significant achievement and the first of its kind in Australasia. To achieve the client’s desire to have clear unobstructed views from each apartment, the tower incorporates an external, structural steel mega-frame, braced in a diamond lattice, that runs the full height of the eastern and western sides of the building with an innovative distributed viscous damping system running up the core. This innovative engineering solution has become an integral part of Seascape’s iconic architectural design.
The Seascape podium has retail and office tenancies on Levels G, 1, 5, 6 & 7. It is intended that a high-end restaurant will take up at least one of these spaces. The offices have large open floor plates due to the innovative mega-frame structure, and open out to the podium terrace.
Two car lifts exclusively service the VIP car parking on levels 2 and 3. These lifts are accessed from Gore Street Lane like the ramp to the basement parking.The pool, fitness room and changing rooms are located on Level 7 at the top of the podium. With a predominantly glass curtain wall façade, this level creates a visual break between the podium and the tower. The sculptural form of the tower’s mega structures continues in the pool area. The rows of inclined columns clad with carefully selected stone finish create a dramatic setting for training and recreation. In the spirit of Melbourne and New York, Seascape features an elevated outdoor terrace on Level 5. Located on the south side of the building and overlooking neighbouring buildings, this is an urban space that will come alive in the evenings.