zaha hadid architects, inspired by the australian landscape and seascape, has designed the mayfair residential tower for the city of melbourne, australia. the iconic zaha hadid style combined with the location of the site, has enabled the architects to create a fluid form facade while simultaneously integrating sweeping balconies that bridge the gap between interior and exterior spaces.
zaha hadid architects designs melbourne apartment building to embrace the site’s city view
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects
the building’s close proximity to the royal botanic garden, port phillip bay, and albert park create sweeping views that balance elements of the natural landscapes and urban development.‘the façade’s composition has evolved from a system of simple wave formations that is further developed to generate variables of the same design language,’ the architects describe. ‘using algorithms to determine these variables enables the façade to adapt to the wide variety of different apartment layouts and also adapt to the irregular site.’
large balconies provide a bridge between the private interiors and the surrounding city
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects
after studying the site closely and determining the architectural geometries of the building, zaha hadid architects used an optimizing algorithm to identify shape similarities in the façade. this process lead to more cost effective measures to achieve the desired, complex design by minimizing the number of different façade panels. the interior contains 158 private residences and community amenities such as rooftop seating, lounge areas, and swimming pools. the ground floor not only contains the lobby, but also double-height spaces for a public restaurant-café. fully integrated into the melbourne landscape, the design adds another element to the city’s growing success as one of the world’s most livable cities.
the living areas are arranged in a distinct sequence to maximize views of the city
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects
the architects used an optimizing algorithm to minimize the number of required façade panels
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects
the fluid motion of the facade is also reflected in the interior
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects
the design enhances the site’s views of the royal botanical gardens, port phillip’s bay, and albert park
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects
the building is close to melbourne’s central business district with prominent views of the skyline
image by mir. courtesy of zaha hadid architects
without careful calculation and cost saving measures, the sculpted façade would have been cost prohibitive
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects
melbourne has become one of the ‘world’s most livable cities’
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects
project info:
architect: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)
design: zaha hadid and patrik schumacher (ZHA)
ZHA project director: michele pasca di magliano
ZHA project architects: stefano paiocchi (ARCH.), daniel fiser (ID)
ZHA project team: marina martinez, luca ruggeri, anat stern, roberta sartori, sam mcheileh, alejandro diaz, nhan vo, michael sims, maria echeverri, raquel arauco ordas, kate revyakina, michael rogers, flavia santos, daniel coley, natasha gill, ashwanth govindaraji, arian hakimi nejad, jose castaneda, afsoon eshaghi, alessandra catello, millie anderson, arya safavi, hee seung lee, johannes elias, juan camilo mogollon, julia hyoun hee na, manuele gaioni
ZHA competition team: gianluca racana, michele pasca di magliano, ludovico lombardi, daniel fiser, luca ruggeri, julia hyoun hee na, hee seung lee, nhan vo, sobitha ravinchandran, adam twigger, rafael contreras, annarita papeschi, mohammadali mirzaei, kostantinos psomas
local architect: elenberg fraser
structural & civil engineering: webber design
building services engineering: murchie consulting
town planner: SJB
quantity surveyor: WT partnership
facade consultant: BG and E
wind engineering: MEL consultants
traffic engineer: traffix
building surveyor: PLP building surveyors and consultants
fire engineer: umow lai
lighting: ndylight
engineering services: inhabit group
geotech: golders
waste management: leigh design
acoustic: vipac
land surveyor: bosco jonson
visualizations: va
