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

[Nort]

A mild attempt at sarcasm but like Burnside we were all hoping things would improve (then cue these sad looking trees) but actually kept getting worse… but hey, I agree, let’s hold out for hope til the very end.

The big difference there was that the developer clearly wanted the tree gone to let them use that space. Should these transplants not work out then they'll just have to put new ones in, so there is motivation to try and look after them.

[Patrick_27]

A mild attempt at sarcasm but like Burnside we were all hoping things would improve (then cue these sad looking trees) but actually kept getting worse… but hey, I agree, let’s hold out for hope til the very end.

The big difference there was that the developer clearly wanted the tree gone to let them use that space. Should these transplants not work out then they'll just have to put new ones in, so there is motivation to try and look after them.

I think the comparison here is about whether or not a planner has simply added these tree species for the sake of aesthetics, or have they consulted a horticulturist re: whether the conditions of this area are appropriate? The tree at Burnside didn’t survive because of the glass roof and the fact that the roots were confined to a box below the decking to accommodate for the underground car park. The second of these points would be the point for concern re: Festival Plaza, and whether the planter boxes have adequate drainage and enough room for root growth. However, the difference here with the tree at Burnside Village is that these looks to be Jacarandas and not gum trees so their size is vastly different and a more rigorous species.

[A-Town]

A mild attempt at sarcasm but like Burnside we were all hoping things would improve (then cue these sad looking trees) but actually kept getting worse… but hey, I agree, let’s hold out for hope til the very end.

The big difference there was that the developer clearly wanted the tree gone to let them use that space.

Yeah this, that tree was never going to survive. Look at how the Marion Hotel redevelopment incorporated a tree into its design. Blends in beautifully and the tree is alive and well.

[ChillyPhilly]

The Burnside tree died because it was receiving insufficient UV.

[Uncle Monty]

Not sure what is going on, but the two trees in question in the plaza have now gone. No idea if they will return or if they are being replaced. Kinda intriguing!!

[I Follow PAFC]

Flinders grabs slice of Walker’s prestige city site
Staking its claim on the North Tce education, health and cultural boulevard, Flinders is the first tenant for Walker’s Festival Tower.
Paywall.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/educatio ... f7126799da

[jimbly_]

Flinders uni to anchor Walker Corporation’s Festival Tower in Riverbank precinct

In a bold statement of growth, Flinders University will become an anchor tenant in the Festival Tower being built adjacent to Parliament House.

Flinders will occupy eight floors in the building, trebling its presence in the city centre.

The university will have branding on the North Terrace side of the 29-level tower, and its own separate entrance and lobby.

“The strategic location of Festival Tower will closely connect Flinders university with key sectors, creating new opportunities for our students and researchers,” vice-chancellor Colin Stirling said.

“It will support skilling our future workforce of health professionals, accountants, lawyers, barristers, criminologists and government policy makers.

“It is a signal of growth and opportunity for international students whom we will soon welcome back to South Australia, aiding recovery of this vital export market.”

The Festival Tower is scheduled for completion in 2023.

Walker Corporation estimates the tower will house 4000 workers, and operate in harmony with the adjacent Festival Plaza.

Cost of the tower is estimated at $500m, the plaza at $160m to $250m and the car park underneath the buildings at $150m – with the development supporting more than 1000 construction jobs.

“We are bringing a Renaissance to the Riverbank,” Walker Corporation executive chairman Lang Walker said ahead of a launch ceremony on Monday.

“Great places need people to be properly activated and the Festival Tower will be the catalyst to bring that population into this new beating heart of the city.

“We welcome tenants Flinders University as we continue this great urban transformation project.”

Flinders is working through details on how it will use the space but as well as teaching and research it is likely to include cafes and event spaces for alumni functions and engagement with SA business and community leaders.

Agreement between Walker Corporation and the state government on the tower and Festival Plaza development was finally reached earlier this month after a decade of negotiations, with two extra floors to the tower, although the project has not been without critics.

The move will make it easier for Flinders students and staff to move between the city and Bedford Park campuses, with a train trip taking 22 minutes on the railway which was extended a year ago. The line also stops at Tonsley, where Flinders’ footprint is growing.

The existing Flinders tenancy in an office block on the northeast corner of Victoria Square will be terminated.

The lease agreements on both the Festival Tower and Victoria Square building are confidential.
Game on as plaza comes alive
Pop-up world class tennis matches, concerts, car races and fireworks will bring the Festival Plaza alive, Walker Corporation executive chairman Lang Walker says.

“The plaza will be activated like never before into a buzzing mixed-use precinct with beautiful restaurants and shops surrounded by open space for the South Australian Government to bid for big events,” he said ahead of a launch ceremony on Monday.

“Our original vision, which we presented to the government in 2013, has always been for Festival Plaza to rival some of the greatest squares in the world like Spain’s Placa de Catalunya or Italy’s Piazza del Campo.”

Mr Walker said he could envisage a symbolic start or end point for a V8 or Formula One race.

The plaza would not compete with Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, which is undergoing a $44m upgrade and is just across the Torrens River.

[Patrick_27]

Two things about this come as a surprise... 1). naming rights on only one side of the building? 2). Only eight floors? You'd think considering the the alterations to the floorplan to include Flinders own entrance/foyer they'd commit to more of a footprint...

[Nathan]

Mr Walker said he could envisage a symbolic start or end point for a V8 or Formula One race.

Has Walker ever seen an F1 or touring car race? They're not point-to-point stages...

[AndyWelsh]

Two things about this come as a surprise... 1). naming rights on only one side of the building?...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AndyWelsh]

New signage is up around the site.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[notmichaeljfox]

[notmichaeljfox]

Official announcement https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2021/ ... val-tower/

Flinders elevates its city presence at Festival Tower
Reflecting its upwards trajectory in learning and research, Flinders University is expanding its Central Business District footprint onto North Terrace, becoming the anchor tenant of the new Festival Tower development.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling says being strategically positioned in the heart of the Riverbank precinct will deliver benefits to students and open up new growth opportunities.

‘Festival Tower is perfectly positioned to connect Flinders University within key medical, technology, business, government, law and arts precincts,’ Professor Stirling says.

‘This high-profile presence will both strengthen our research linkages and be a launchpad for students as we skill our future workforce of health professionals, accountants, lawyers, barristers, criminologists and government policy makers,’ he says.

‘Crucially, the location of Festival Tower adjacent to the Adelaide Railway Station means our new vertical campus will be just 19 minutes by rail to Tonsley and 22 minutes to Bedford Park, where our transformational Flinders Village development is about to take shape. Together, these initiatives will create the largest integrated health and education network in South Australia.

‘We’re adapting to what our students want with unparalleled flexibility, convenience and connectivity. For students in areas like law and commerce where many are working in the city, the move to Festival Tower will expand their options to complete or extend their studies.

‘Our business students will be on the doorstep of the city’s core commerce precinct, our students studying government will be on the doorstep of parliament, our arts students will be on the doorstep of the Festival Centre, and our health students will be connected like never before to the southern suburbs, city and northern biomedical precincts.

‘Furthermore, it sends an important signal to international students that we’re strong and growing, and readying to welcome them back. We’re committed to aiding recovery of this vital export market from the impact of COVID-19, because we understand the significant economic and social benefits to our state,’ Professor Stirling says.

Professor Stirling says Flinders University will occupy eight floors, comprising three podium levels and five other levels, and more than 11,000 m² of space in the 29-level Tower from 2024. The fit out will feature a bespoke entry and common area, and include teaching and learning spaces for students, meeting rooms and staff offices, in a building which incorporates leading edge sustainability practices.

‘This is a significant step in the ongoing transformation and growth of Flinders University. We will continue to provide world class education and spaces for our students to learn and work, contributing to South Australia’s progress as a bold and visionary place to live, learn and work,’ Professor Stirling says.

[Stryker]

Interesting article.
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/adelaide/ ... n-unveiled

[Algernon]

Interesting article.
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/adelaide/ ... n-unveiled

dafuq is with the copy paste of one of the outdoor courts of Melbourne Park smack bang in the middle of the plaza