By Sharen Kaur
Published in NST on October 31, 2014
UEM Sunrise Bhd’s Aurora Melbourne Central project on La Trobe Street in Melbourne, its first Australian development, has gone beyond the epitome of location.
Location is about buying properties in prime spots such as in the vicinity of top-rated schools and colleges, near public transportation, hospitals, parks, entertainment and shopping.
As an example, UEM Sunrise has embarked on projects in economically stable neighbourhoods such as Mont’ Kiara in Kuala Lumpur and Iskandar Malaysia in Johor.
Last year, the company made its maiden foray in Melbourne for its strong growth prospects. It picked La Trobe Street, a major street in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD) and home to several precincts and public and private spaces.
UEM Sunrise acquired a 0.4ha site on La Trobe Street and a 0.4ha site on Mackenzie Street for A$65 million (RM189 million) due to the super locations, excellent connectivity and accessibility.
The company plans to build luxury residential apartments with some form of retail at both sites, which will have more than RM3 billion in gross development value (GDV) in the next four to five years.
The first launch, Aurora Melbourne Central, will have a GDV of A$770 million, said UEM Sunrise chief operating officer for commercial Raymond Cheah.
He said Aurora Melbourne Central would create a new epicentre of retail and living spaces, and rise majestically in the Melbourne skyline.
The massive residential skyscraper with 92 floors, the city’s largest to date, will house 941 apartments in three separate collections — Stratus, Cumulus and Australis.
It is behind a soaring double-glazed glass exterior with sophisticated coating system.
“The one-bedroom apartments will sell from A$395,000 while the two-bedroom units will be priced at more than A$550,000 each. Apartments with three bedrooms will sell for more than A$1.1 million,” Cheah told Property Times in an interview, here, recently.
“If you purchase based on location, location, location, Aurora Melbourne Central has gone beyond that. A picture tells a thousand words, and when you buy a unit here, you will have diverse views. There are five parks surrounding the development, namely the Fitzroy and Treasury Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park with its artificial lake, Flagstaff Gardens and Carlton Gardens.
“The project is also at the doorstep of the education precinct that houses the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Technology and RMIT University.
“When you talk about public transportation, Aurora Melbourne Central will have direct underground connection to the Melbourne Central train station. A number of tram routes travel along La Trobe Street, including the city circle. The tram stops just outside the building.
“You have parks, universities and train station. Next, you would want shopping. Melbourne central station is connected to the Melbourne Central shopping centre, Emporium, Myer, David Jones and GPO. When Aurora Melbourne Central is fully developed in four years, it will be connected to these malls as we are located above the station.
“The project is also close to two bustling office districts, namely Southbank and Docklands. So how wrong can you go owning a property here? Queen Victoria is located within a 10-minute walk and there is a casino about 25 minutes by foot,” said Cheah.
Notable buildings in La Trobe Street include the State Library of Victoria, Etihad Stadium, the Family Court complex and the former Melbourne Mint.
For the project to be outstanding and iconic, UEM Sunrise had shortlisted COX Architecture, Elenberg Fraser and Fender Katsalidis Architects — three home-grown Australian master-class architectural practices with international presence and accolades.
They were selected based on their established residential and mixed-use oeuvre, international
eminence with local contextual adaptability and their passion for exemplar design, that are sympathetic to the various functional requirements of integrated developments.
The brief for the projects called for a design solution that “stands for something” — unique, inspiring, elegant and highly efficient to live up to the global standards of design and urban living.
Elenberg Fraser’s design was named as the winning scheme. Featuring a Malaysia-Melbourne cultural integration, the design includes a vibrant retail podium with direct underground connection to Melbourne Central station, a sculpted tower that houses the residential units and facilities, and unique star-shaped floor plates offering each residential unit some of the most treasured views in Melbourne.
“This development will offer one of the most generous provision of communal facilities to the residents. The building is not just about a beautiful design, but how end user will enjoy and appreciate the space.
It is kind of a defining moment for the city and we believe the apartments will have strong rental potential. I think this is a terrific investment,” said Callum Fraser, founding partner of Elenberg Fraser.
Published in NST on October 31, 2014
UEM Sunrise Bhd’s Aurora Melbourne Central project on La Trobe Street in Melbourne, its first Australian development, has gone beyond the epitome of location.
Location is about buying properties in prime spots such as in the vicinity of top-rated schools and colleges, near public transportation, hospitals, parks, entertainment and shopping.
As an example, UEM Sunrise has embarked on projects in economically stable neighbourhoods such as Mont’ Kiara in Kuala Lumpur and Iskandar Malaysia in Johor.
Last year, the company made its maiden foray in Melbourne for its strong growth prospects. It picked La Trobe Street, a major street in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD) and home to several precincts and public and private spaces.
UEM Sunrise acquired a 0.4ha site on La Trobe Street and a 0.4ha site on Mackenzie Street for A$65 million (RM189 million) due to the super locations, excellent connectivity and accessibility.
The company plans to build luxury residential apartments with some form of retail at both sites, which will have more than RM3 billion in gross development value (GDV) in the next four to five years.
The first launch, Aurora Melbourne Central, will have a GDV of A$770 million, said UEM Sunrise chief operating officer for commercial Raymond Cheah.
He said Aurora Melbourne Central would create a new epicentre of retail and living spaces, and rise majestically in the Melbourne skyline.
The massive residential skyscraper with 92 floors, the city’s largest to date, will house 941 apartments in three separate collections — Stratus, Cumulus and Australis.
It is behind a soaring double-glazed glass exterior with sophisticated coating system.
“The one-bedroom apartments will sell from A$395,000 while the two-bedroom units will be priced at more than A$550,000 each. Apartments with three bedrooms will sell for more than A$1.1 million,” Cheah told Property Times in an interview, here, recently.
“If you purchase based on location, location, location, Aurora Melbourne Central has gone beyond that. A picture tells a thousand words, and when you buy a unit here, you will have diverse views. There are five parks surrounding the development, namely the Fitzroy and Treasury Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park with its artificial lake, Flagstaff Gardens and Carlton Gardens.
“The project is also at the doorstep of the education precinct that houses the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Technology and RMIT University.
“When you talk about public transportation, Aurora Melbourne Central will have direct underground connection to the Melbourne Central train station. A number of tram routes travel along La Trobe Street, including the city circle. The tram stops just outside the building.
“You have parks, universities and train station. Next, you would want shopping. Melbourne central station is connected to the Melbourne Central shopping centre, Emporium, Myer, David Jones and GPO. When Aurora Melbourne Central is fully developed in four years, it will be connected to these malls as we are located above the station.
“The project is also close to two bustling office districts, namely Southbank and Docklands. So how wrong can you go owning a property here? Queen Victoria is located within a 10-minute walk and there is a casino about 25 minutes by foot,” said Cheah.
Notable buildings in La Trobe Street include the State Library of Victoria, Etihad Stadium, the Family Court complex and the former Melbourne Mint.
For the project to be outstanding and iconic, UEM Sunrise had shortlisted COX Architecture, Elenberg Fraser and Fender Katsalidis Architects — three home-grown Australian master-class architectural practices with international presence and accolades.
They were selected based on their established residential and mixed-use oeuvre, international
eminence with local contextual adaptability and their passion for exemplar design, that are sympathetic to the various functional requirements of integrated developments.
The brief for the projects called for a design solution that “stands for something” — unique, inspiring, elegant and highly efficient to live up to the global standards of design and urban living.
Elenberg Fraser’s design was named as the winning scheme. Featuring a Malaysia-Melbourne cultural integration, the design includes a vibrant retail podium with direct underground connection to Melbourne Central station, a sculpted tower that houses the residential units and facilities, and unique star-shaped floor plates offering each residential unit some of the most treasured views in Melbourne.
“This development will offer one of the most generous provision of communal facilities to the residents. The building is not just about a beautiful design, but how end user will enjoy and appreciate the space.
It is kind of a defining moment for the city and we believe the apartments will have strong rental potential. I think this is a terrific investment,” said Callum Fraser, founding partner of Elenberg Fraser.
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