[SWP] Festival Plaza Tower 2 | 160m | 38 Levels | Office

[ChillyPhilly]

Won't comment on any of the controversy about the Walker Corp stuff. But I just wanted to say I really do think the plaza has been done fairly well. Feels like it has purpose now and is activated a fair amount with different events. And outside of that it does not too badly at attracting people for their lunch break etc.

But none of it is organic thoroughfare and by that I mean, the reliance solely rests on sporting events and staged public events on the plaza which has limited capabilities compared to say Victoria Square; which reminds me of when Greater Union reopened on Hindley Street and poached Adelaide Film Festival from PalaceNova EastEnd as if that wa s going to bring in the regular punters. You're kidding yourselves if you believe that university students and government workers are going to spend $100+ per head at Station Road Wine Bar type venues. We can talk about the state of the former plaza before this development, but not a single person on here is arguing that something needed to be done with the space; it's more an argument of what should have been done with this space. It's still legally considered park-land and so I would expect a complete public use for the space. Me, personally? I wanted to see an expanded Festival Centre featuring a concert hall, recital hall and theatre round with a similar approach to Arts Centre in Melbourne whereby it's structurally (for the most part) underground with hospitality offerings on a laneway between Parliament House and the Festival Centre (similar to Market Square laneway behind the Hilton and Sir Samuel Way Building). It would involve some hefty public investment but it's then ours, the same government who planned this redevelopment were willing to invest heavily in the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval so I'm at a loss as to why they didn't believe that our city's premier Arts Centre didn't deserve the same sort of (overdue) TLC. In an ideal world, the ARS wouldn't house Adelaide Casino but instead public servants, which then makes up your daily foot-traffic to the area but even then, what I wanted for the area could have still been achieved with the inclusion of Festival Tower One, only without the carpark. The failing of this plaza from a public design POV isn't just with the towers (IMO) but also a 1,200 space carpark, there is nothing pedestrian about having a 1,200 carpark next to a central railway station in the heart of a CBD; encouraging this kind of car dependency is what I would expect in LA, not any Australian capital city.

Pretty much spot on. The whole Plaza project and both towers are ultimately just a big cover for the real project, which is the ridiculous carpark.

[AndyWelsh]

From Glam Adelaide today:
Prominent South Australians call to halt proposed Festival Plaza skyscraper

More than 120 influential South Australians have stepped forward to oppose a proposed 160-metre skyscraper set to be built in Festival Plaza, behind Parliament House.

https://glamadelaide.com.au/prominent-s ... kyscraper/



The Save Festival Plaza Alliance Convener Robert Farnan said, “Walker Corporation is so confident of approval that they are already laying foundations and underground car parking. The Malinauskas Government must be asked how this has been allowed to happen when the proposed skyscraper has not yet been approved by SCAP?”


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[VinyTapestry849]

More than 120 influential South Australians…

Let me guess, they’re all pearl clutching over 65 year olds living in north Adelaide, terrified of the 21st century reaching Adelaide.


They don’t even have a Facebook group. This is not a threat to the project.

[ozisnowman]

More than 120 influential South Australians…

Let me guess, they’re all pearl clutching over 65 year olds living in north Adelaide, terrified of the 21st century reaching Adelaide.

They don’t even have a Facebook group. This is not a threat to the project.

Maybe we should start a partition that tells these so called 120 influential (legends in their own mind) people that they should keep there opinions to themselves and let the rest of South Australia move ahead instead of being stuck in the past.

[Prodical]

Influential...

Anyway, fingers crossed it gets approved today

[Bobski]

I downloaded the letter and looked at the signatories. Apparently "prominence" and "influence" is directly related to the number of letters before or after your name? lol ok.

As for their argument, I find the claim that this development is an affront to first wave feminism which should be replaced with a lame "democracy hub" to be... unconvincing.

[VinyTapestry849]

New renders have been released team!












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[Mpol02]

In that last picture what is that panel where 3 is placed over? With all the lines? Is this a feature? Is it in the same finish of glass as the rest of the front? Is it concrete? If so that has potential to mess with the facade if not done well.

Sorry just seen too many loverly renders for the final outcome to be a turd. Especially with the she. A Ivan’s of what’s happened on this site, we deserve A+

[rev]

Probably where the lifts will be located and/or fire escapes/stairs, and the panels or fins are decorative, based on one of the other renders with a close up.


Judging by the renders with the 'cafe' directly under the tower and next to the set of concrete stairs, looks like it'll be the standard run of mill option found on the ground floor of many office towers. I'd bet that place will be closed weekdays by 3-4pm and wont be open on weekends.
Are the umbrellas/dining area in the laneway next to the casino part of that same to-be establishment or another one.

[SRW]

Where are the above renders from? Concerning design direction if current.

I thought the whole argument for a taller tower was to preserve views to Parliament House. Reconcile that claim with the huge column blocking the balcony:


Why the hell are there stairs to access the 'ground' level lobby! Recall that the plaza renewal (i.e. removing the cut out and bridge) was about having a consistent plane.

[Algernon]

More than 120 influential South Australians…

Let me guess, they’re all pearl clutching over 65 year olds living in north Adelaide, terrified of the 21st century reaching Adelaide.

They don’t even have a Facebook group. This is not a threat to the project.

Maybe we should start a partition that tells these so called 120 influential (legends in their own mind) people that they should keep there opinions to themselves and let the rest of South Australia move ahead instead of being stuck in the past.

Just hold up a big poster of Che Guevara, wait for them to fall into a deep trance and approve the bloody thing

[Nort]

Where are the above renders from? Concerning design direction if current.

I thought the whole argument for a taller tower was to preserve views to Parliament House. Reconcile that claim with the huge column blocking the balcony:


Why the hell are there stairs to access the 'ground' level lobby! Recall that the plaza renewal (i.e. removing the cut out and bridge) was about having a consistent plane.

The argument for building a tower to preserve views was always nonsensical, but applied to the previous development.

The order has gone:

1. Low rise building hosting restaurants and bars.

2. Tower with open lobby, to "preserve views" that the low rise development would have blocked, with ground level hospitality venues.

3. Taller tower, suddenly preserving views is no longer important, and the hospitality venues to enliven the plaza are downgraded further.

Meanwhile a bunch of fetishists insist it will make for a better public space because BUILDING IS TALL.

[gnrc_louis]

I downloaded the letter and looked at the signatories. Apparently "prominence" and "influence" is directly related to the number of letters before or after your name? lol ok.

As for their argument, I find the claim that this development is an affront to first wave feminism which should be replaced with a lame "democracy hub" to be... unconvincing.

tbf there are a lot of fairly prominent Adelaide names on there from a range of fields.

[Bobski]

People from a range of fields, united by grey hair and a sense of self-importance. The tone of the letter is, to me, elitist and patronising.

Source


As for the proposed "Democracy Hub", this sounds like something that would only be visited by retirees and Year 8s on a school excursion.

Source

[VinyTapestry849]

I look forward to seeing the headline of “Second Festival Plaza Tower approved by state assessment panel” tomorrow afternoon.