[COM] Festival Plaza Tower 1 | 115m | 27 Levels | Office

[Norman]

Pictures from last night:
Video from last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7HmZbt7G8

This looks terrific, but are there plans to continue the blue lighting across the building?

It just kind of... stops.

I hope so as well. It only launched recently, so hopefully the blue line will be extended. I also hope that the one part of the Festival Centre that doesn't seem to be lit up yet is finished.

[ml69]

The area needs to be tidied. As it stands there are just gum trees, a barley there foot path and the grass leading down to the river. Keep the trees but do more to the river walkway and landscaping.

Great photos. The riverbank area really is developing a wow factor befitting its prime location, particularly when viewed at night.

As mentioned above, it's the landscaping at the riverbank that has been left behind and overlooked. It just needs some urban design in terms of landscaping treatment, pathways, a decent civic edge lining the River Torrens etc. Something like what has been done on North Terrace. I'm sure it will happen eventually.

[Matt]

Hoping they can do a better job of maintaining the waterfall at the end of the footbridge.

The last couple of times I’ve been back, it’s looked a mess. Clogged with crap and the flow of the water was all over the place.

It’s great sticking these features in, but their upkeep is just as important.

[ml69]

Hoping they can do a better job of maintaining the waterfall at the end of the footbridge.

The last couple of times I’ve been back, it’s looked a mess. Clogged with crap and the flow of the water was all over the place.

It’s great sticking these features in, but their upkeep is just as important.

Agree with you there. In Adelaide we do a terrible job of maintaining public garden beds, lawns etc

[Matt]

Pictures from last night:
Video from last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7HmZbt7G8

This looks terrific, but are there plans to continue the blue lighting across the building?

It just kind of... stops.

I hope so as well. It only launched recently, so hopefully the blue line will be extended. I also hope that the one part of the Festival Centre that doesn't seem to be lit up yet is finished.

That’ll be because the tree’s in the way.
The tracking light around the angles of the shells comes from a projection under the bridge opposite.

[Honey of a City]

The ACC or whichever body who's responsible for landscaping around the bridge and Festival Centre has done a very poor job in specimen selection and maintenance. The plantings post-construction should be enhancing the architecture, but instead block sight lines and bear no relation to their surroundings. The waterfall feature has disappeared entirely under a chaos of inappropriate small scrubby trees, and the water feature at the bottom is often dirty and half working. Other planted trees have made the wall sculpture under the playhouse disappear entirely, and are now starting to block out the view across the river from the terrace/bistro. Similarly trees planted on the Oval side of the river seem to have been selected with no regard to their position or knowledge of their size at maturity. Several very basic landscape design rules have been ignored.

[timtam20292]

The ACC or whichever body who's responsible for landscaping around the bridge and Festival Centre has done a very poor job in specimen selection and maintenance. The plantings post-construction should be enhancing the architecture, but instead block sight lines and bear no relation to their surroundings. The waterfall feature has disappeared entirely under a chaos of inappropriate small scrubby trees, and the water feature at the bottom is often dirty and half working. Other planted trees have made the wall sculpture under the playhouse disappear entirely, and are now starting to block out the view across the river from the terrace/bistro. Similarly trees planted on the Oval side of the river seem to have been selected with no regard to their position or knowledge of their size at maturity. Several very basic landscape design rules have been ignored.

Those are river red gums that were planted on the oval side of the river which grow best along a water way hence their position. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with those trees being there, of course they must be maintained to the highest standard.

[ChillyPhilly]

Couldnt disagree more... its all very well getting your 'post card shots' at night, but what about during the day in 30 degree baking sun. Trees and greenery are SO important for making an area feel nice and habitable.

I agree completely about the importance of greenery, but these few gum trees do not fit any further, and really cheapen the appearance of the good work done so far. I'll almost never call for a tree to be felled but these are some exceptions to that.

They have not been maintained well at all and should be replaced with something that forms an effective visual treatment.

[Patrick_27]

Couldnt disagree more... its all very well getting your 'post card shots' at night, but what about during the day in 30 degree baking sun. Trees and greenery are SO important for making an area feel nice and habitable.

I agree completely about the importance of greenery, but these few gum trees do not fit any further, and really cheapen the appearance of the good work done so far. I'll almost never call for a tree to be felled but these are some exceptions to that.

They have not been maintained well at all and should be replaced with something that forms an effective visual treatment.

So what do you propose, palms trees to give it a Las Vegas feel? They're Australian natives and should have a place in promote Australian landscapes, furthermore, I'd rather see these gum trees remain then further planting on Plane Trees...

[Nathan]

Moving away from trees for a moment, I went along to the open day a week ago. The upgraded foyer is looking great, and the new northern entrance is good. Access from Elder Park is going to be much better than it used to be.

On the negative, the outdoor signage — including for the entrance and their premium restaurant — is all cheap vinyl. I could have paid for it all out of my own pocket it's that cheap. Not at all matching the quality of the rest of the upgrade. Also, the new cafe looks woeful. Not only do they think 90s Mortal Kombat spelling is still kool, but they've been handed a fantastic tenancy and it looks like they've decked it out from a trip to K-Mart. The cafe game has been raised considerably in Adelaide over the last few years (both in terms of coffee and internal fit-outs) and this is no where near up to par.

While I'm ranting, the new lighting looks great, but they don't need to project the logo. The new lighting along the edges is the logo. Projecting a representation of the building with highlighted edges, on to the building with highlighted edges, is completely redundant.

[rev]

Hoping they can do a better job of maintaining the waterfall at the end of the footbridge.

The last couple of times I’ve been back, it’s looked a mess. Clogged with crap and the flow of the water was all over the place.

It’s great sticking these features in, but their upkeep is just as important.

Agree with you there. In Adelaide we do a terrible job of maintaining public garden beds, lawns etc

That's because it costs money.

[ChillyPhilly]

Couldnt disagree more... its all very well getting your 'post card shots' at night, but what about during the day in 30 degree baking sun. Trees and greenery are SO important for making an area feel nice and habitable.

I agree completely about the importance of greenery, but these few gum trees do not fit any further, and really cheapen the appearance of the good work done so far. I'll almost never call for a tree to be felled but these are some exceptions to that.

They have not been maintained well at all and should be replaced with something that forms an effective visual treatment.

So what do you propose, palms trees to give it a Las Vegas feel? They're Australian natives and should have a place in promote Australian landscapes, furthermore, I'd rather see these gum trees remain then further planting on Plane Trees...

I've thought about it and have two ideas: either simply some trees that look balanced and can be neatly maintained, or a bucket load of trees, completely increasing the number there now.

I agree about them and other Australian natives having a place, but most gum trees are a massive nuisance and incompatible in terms of the urban environment. They damage footpaths, road surfaces, kerbing, building foundations and so on. Nearly all 'nuisance trees' reported to councils are gum trees.

[Honey of a City]

The ACC or whichever body who's responsible for landscaping around the bridge and Festival Centre has done a very poor job in specimen selection and maintenance. The plantings post-construction should be enhancing the architecture, but instead block sight lines and bear no relation to their surroundings. The waterfall feature has disappeared entirely under a chaos of inappropriate small scrubby trees, and the water feature at the bottom is often dirty and half working. Other planted trees have made the wall sculpture under the playhouse disappear entirely, and are now starting to block out the view across the river from the terrace/bistro. Similarly trees planted on the Oval side of the river seem to have been selected with no regard to their position or knowledge of their size at maturity. Several very basic landscape design rules have been ignored.

Those are river red gums that were planted on the oval side of the river which grow best along a water way hence their position. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with those trees being there, of course they must be maintained to the highest standard.

If they are indeed River Reds they are the most dangerous trees to be planting in public events areas. Besides negating the vistas at maturity they'll be dropping massive branches consistently and without warning. That's an evolutionary characteristic of the species. And if they are they're planted far too close together as at maturity they're massive and spreading. Sure plant River Reds along rivers, but not in areas with regular and dense public traffic.

[rev]

And finally people are catching on about the landscaping/trees along the river front...what was it two years ago that I said it all needs a massive re-do with more appropriate trees? We have a half a billion dollar stadium with an expensive copper exterior, big screen tvs, led feature lighting, and most of it is blocked from view by trees that look like they are straight out of the flinders rangers..

[monotonehell]

If they are indeed River Reds they are the most dangerous trees to be planting in public events areas. Besides negating the vistas at maturity they'll be dropping massive branches consistently and without warning. That's an evolutionary characteristic of the species. And if they are they're planted far too close together as at maturity they're massive and spreading. Sure plant River Reds along rivers, but not in areas with regular and dense public traffic.

That's actually not true. There was a study conducted (don't ask for it, I forget where how I read it, but it's linked somewhere on S-A.) that concluded that all trees, native or otherwise, drop branches if they are under stress from lack of water. The problem is that councils allow them to go thirsty in hot weather.