BIG's proposed 'lanescraper' could become australia's tallest building

bjarke ingels group (BIG) has unveiled its proposal for ‘southbank by beulah’ — a competition which will see a new skyscraper built in melbourne, australia. the project has been designed as two interlocking towers, each comprising a series of stacked volumes that contain a variety of different programs. the proposal — dubbed the ‘lanescraper’ — is competing against entries from other high-profile firms, including coop himmelb(l)au, MAD architects, OMA, and UNStudio, with the winner to be announced on august 8, 2018.

all images and video courtesy of bjarke ingels group

the scheme’s ‘lanescraper’ moniker is derived from the voids between the two towers, where a series of ‘laneways’ forms a continuous three-dimensional promenade. these spaces are a reinterpretation of melbourne’s existing laneways, pedestrian streets and arcades, which are an important part of the city’s urban fabric. ‘we propose architecture as social infrastructure, a framework for the life and experiences that happen within and without,’ BIG explains.

if realized, the tower would be australia’s tallest building

the tower’s form is a result of its specific context and prominent plot. the design team began by defining the maximum building envelope, including its maximum height of 360 meters (1,180 feet). a series of progressive setbacks result in a form that both meets regulatory intentions and appears more slender. importantly, the tower’s tapered crown creates less mass in the skyline and less shadowing at street level.

the project has been designed as two interlocking towers

occupying the voids between the two interlocking towers, a series of vertical laneways have been conceived as an extension of the horizontal streetscape. the design team suggests that each of these outdoor spaces is imbued with ‘a unique identity and experience rooted in its specific place and program’. in developing the proposal BIG worked alongside melbourne-based firm fender katsalidis as well as arup, jan gehl, and GTA consultants.

the series of stacked volumes contains a variety of different programs

a series of ‘laneways’ forms a continuous three-dimensional promenade

melbourne’s existing laneway are an important part of the city’s urban fabric

the towers will contain residences as well as a hotel

the skyscraper’s residential component occupies the upper portions of both towers

office and commercial space is also provided

a series of progressive setbacks means that the building appears more slender

the tapered crown creates less mass in the skyline and less shadowing at street level

the competition’s winning entry will be announced on august 8, 2018

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project info:

name: the lanescraper
date: july 30, 2018
program: commercial
status: in progress
size: 238,000 sqm (2,561,811 sqf)
project type: competition
client: beulah international
collaborators: fender katsalidis, arup, jan gehl, GTA consultants, bloomimages, brick visual
location: melbourne, victoria, australia

project team
partners-in-charge: bjarke ingels, brian yang
project leaders: joão albuquerque
project architect: ovidiu munteanu
team: mariana de soares e barbieri cardoso, aleksandra domian, miaomiao chu, naysan john foroudi, xinying zhang , antonio sollo, helen chen, sarkis sarkisyan, teodor cristian fratila, augusto zamperlini
BIG engineering: andy coward, duncan horswill
BIG ideas: bart ramakers, kristoffer negendahl
BIG landscape: alessandro zanini, mattia di carlo, nandi lu, ulla hornsyld