The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) have released plans to reach for the stars, with a recent bid to deliver Melbourne’s tallest skyscraper.
To be known as ‘Magic’, the tower is set to stand 330m tall; this surpasses the Eureka Tower (Melbourne’s current tallest building) at 297m and the approved, but yet to be built, 1 Queensbridge at 323m. Decibel Architecture are the firm joining forces to bring this to light.
If plans are accepted, Magic will be the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.
The plans
The site itself is a small undeveloped triangle of land on the corner of La Trobe Street and Victoria Street. The slender tower will allow for 60 stories of residential apartments, with the RSV utilising some of the remaining space. The new project will create a stream of revenue in effort to revitalise the Royal Society, enabling it to,
- Support citizen science, technology, and science clubs across Melbourne and Victoria.
- Enhance and upgrade the heritage listed home of the RSV to meet modern accessibility requirements and be fit for the 21st century public engagement required.
- Develop a science engagement centre and science café.
- Create a perpetual endowment fund, enabling the RSV’s purpose, projects and awards programs to be supercharged for the next 160 years.
Sights set on the future
“The revitalised Royal Society will lead adult, student and community engagement in science across the State, from Mildura to Cann River to Portland. Through local kids’ clubs, we will keep the flame of curiosity alive in our youngest scientists.” says Society CEO Mike Flattley.
The proposition is focused on securing a sustainable future for the Royal Society of Victoria, facilitating the continuation of their state-wide work into the future.
The development and construction company, Grocon, was chosen to work alongside the team to deliver the project at minimum necessary returns. This will enable the majority of proceeds to be contributed to the RSV’s perpetual endowment fund.
“Magic, at 1 Victoria Street, will be the most innovative, most sustainable, tallest possible ‘reach for the stars’ proposition that we can create. It will be driven by the world leading Victorian science expertise in the built environment. It will demonstrate ingenuity, cutting edge sustainable technologies and be an iconic marker to Melbourne and our status as Australia’s science capital,” says Dylan Brady, the architect who developed the concept of the tower.
The residential component of Magic will be sold both locally and abroad, aimed at high net worth and community-minded individuals who will become, by way of their investment, benefactors contributing to a perpetual endowment fund for the Royal Society of Victoria.
