Local developer DealCorp has launched its new $100 million project, Glenarm Square, which will transform the forecourt of the newly revamped Gardiner Station in Glen Iris into a buzzing new community piazza unlike anything the area has seen before.
The piazza will form one aspect of Glenarm Square, with an activated ground plane featuring commercial businesses, a café, a deli/grocer, and a provedore, with a range of green planting and canopy trees across 2000sqm plaza.
The retail and commercial tenancies will encompass 1000sqm over two levels.
This new precinct will draw people from across Melbourne and service the residents of the 120 apartments housed in the seven-storey residential aspect – aptly named The Residences at Glenarm Square.
The project coincides with a trend of new developments based around train stations, which afford the communities living, working and patronising the precincts hyper-connectivity to surrounding areas, and makes the destination easily reachable from all other suburbs.
When complete, Glenarm Square will give the residents and visitors to the leafy eastern suburb a new village square to congregate and socialise in. Dotted around the precinct will be formal and informal seating where patrons can meet for a coffee under the shade of the trees or cross through the square under the warm evening lighting.
Director at planning and design specialist Urbis Peter Haack worked on the project since conceptualisation four years ago. Haack says the team has created a permeable civic space where residents and travellers can feel safe in a buzzing environment.
“ The key was finding the balance. Creating active edges with visibility from Burke Road through to Glenarm Road, and defining boundaries which are also permeable and visually appealing to draw people into the centre of the square,” said Haack.
“ We achieved this through our use of materials such as perforated screening and designing an elevated concourse that integrates with the station.”
On top of the new vibrant destination Glenarm Square will produce, it will also create a range of jobs through the commercial and hospitality tenancies.
DealCorp executive chairman David Kobritz says the amenity and growth of Glen Iris was a significant consideration in the planning of the precinct.
“ We have designed Glenarm Square to bring the station to life, creating an exciting new destination and activating it from morning until night instead of confining the activity to peak travel times,” said Kobritz.
“ Glen Iris is one of most in-demand suburbs in Melbourne’s inner east. Glenarm Square will regenerate and repurpose the currently unused land adjacent to Gardiner Station and create much-needed amenity for the community.”
The project has been designed by industry heavy weights Plus Architecture and Hecker Gutherie, in combination with Urbis and DealCorp.
The Residences at Glenarm Square unite the civic spaces of the plaza and Gardiner Station through its use of a dual façade language with smaller scale elements relating to the neighbouring houses on the west and vertical articulations referencing the shop fronts of Burke Road.
Residents of the residential building will also benefit from the extensive communal amenity on offer including a gym, 15m indoor pool, communal lounge and luxurious business centre for residents, and a communal kitchen and dining area that has been created in collaboration with renowned Melbourne chef Shane Delia.
One bedroom apartments at Glenarm Square start from $399,000, two-bedroom apartments start from $545,000, while premium, three-bedroom residences start at $875,000.
Construction is due to commence in late 2019.
Source: DealCorp