Former Southbank car park to become 3700sqm green zone

Southbank’s green future has been showcased in plans for a 3700sqm park beneath a new development comprising six apartment towers. 

The sprawling space beneath the Melbourne Square project will breathe new life into a former car park site, bounded by the Westgate Freeway and Kavanagh, Balston and Power Streets.

Water features, European-inspired piazzas and an outdoor terrace will be features of Melbourne’s most densely populated suburb’s new “green heart.”

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Renowned landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL) will create the verdant space. The firm has worked on Birrarung Marr, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Cranbourne’s Australian Garden and the National Arboretum, Canberra, in the past.

TCL managing director Perry Lethlean said the park would make the area a place for the public to enjoy outdoors.

“Melbourne Square’s dynamic public realm will be a centrepiece for Southbank, one that can be actively programmed for events or enjoyed at leisure,” he says.

Melbourne Square will be made up of six residential towers.

“The park is part of a network of gardens inspired by Melbourne’s iconic Royal Botanic Gardens and qualities from other cities such as Paris, Berlin and Spain.

“As this is such an urban environment, we have created vistas and seating nestled among the greenery. Generous promenades and plazas encourage the Italian tradition of promenading — taking an evening walk with friends.

“It’s about creating opportunities for residents of Melbourne Square and other buildings in Southbank to engage with nature.”

Executive chairman of the developer, Malaysian-based OSK Property, Tan Sri Ong Leong Huat says the vision for the apartment project is to create a “vertical community.”

“We believe this public realm will draw people from all over Southbank, and also provide important linkage from the CBD through the arts precinct to the Botanic Gardens,” he says.

Construction and sales of the first two Melbourne Square apartment buildings, parkland and retail is due to commence mid-2017.

This article from the Herald Sun was originally published as “Southbank’s ‘green heart’ unveiled in plans for 3700sq m park at Melbourne Square“.