Perth, Melbourne and Sydney see major projects.

Country’s First thyssenkrupp iwalks Installed at Airports

Australia’s first thyssenkrupp iwalks, including two of the longest ever produced at 92 m, are being installed at the Perth and Melbourne airports, the OEM announced in January. The 92-m units will serve the 280-m-long Skybridge at Perth Airport that links to a new train station. In total, four iwalks and three elevators — that together have a capacity of 66 passengers — are going in at the airport. The iwalks have a capacity of 7,300 passengers/hr and will support approximately 20,000 trips per day at the airport’s Forrestfield-Airport link. At Melbourne Airport, thyssenkrupp put two iwalks into operation at Terminal 4 in December 2019. Two more had been scheduled for installation in March.

Sydney

Crown’s Resort, Casino Tower to Be City’s Tallest Hotel Scheduled for completion in early 2021, casino operator Crown Resorts’ 72-story resort and casino tower, Crown Residences at One Barangaroo, will include the tallest hotel in Sydney, The Urban Developer reported in February. The multibillion-dollar development from Australia’s Lendlease will have 82 apartments and 349 hotel rooms on the Sydney Harbour overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. At ground level will be publicly accessible restaurants, a spa and gaming areas. To focus on the upscale aspect of the property, Crown plans to offer table games only. The WilkinsonEyre design involves 8,000 unique, individually cut glass panels that allow floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.

Residential Tower to Replace Office Building in North Sydney

A building that until late 2019 was home to technology company SAP is set to be demolished to make way for a 28-story luxury residential tower designed by Woods Bagot for developer Aqualand in North Sydney, The Urban Developer reported in February. With office occupancy rates at historic lows in the city, Aqualand, a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Shenglong, said it is confident the high-end residences at 168 Walker Street will sell. Sydney- based Aqualand said it has consistently achieved “record prices” at its other local residential developments.

Office “Vertical Village” Greenlit in Melbourne CBD

A 59,000-m2 office tower that saw its height and floorplate size reduced from 58 to 49 stories and a maximum of 2,000 m2 to 1,700 m2, respectively, has been greenlit by authorities in Melbourne, The Urban Developer reported in January. At Bourke and Queen streets in the CBD, 435 Bourke Street was designed by Bates Smart. It is one of the first projects to win approval under the Victorian government’s new density, separation and public provision requirements. Developed by Cbus Property, the tower is expected to serve as a “vertical village” for more than 5,500 employees and achieve the highest energy-efficiency ratings. A Cbus executive observed there is “little to no vacancy” in the Melbourne CBD market, so the outlook is good for the project.

Construction Starts on Chevron Australia’s Perth HQ

Construction began in January on Chevron Australia’s new 29-story headquarters at One The Esplanade in Elizabeth Quay, Perth, getbusiness reported, citing the Western Australian government. Major Perth investor Brookfield Properties and Multiplex partnered with Chevron on the project, expected to create approximately 1,200 jobs during construction and yield 57,000 m2 of office space and ground-level retail upon completion in 2023. There will be space for roughly 3,000 workers, and Chevron, one of Western Australia’s leading employers, will be the anchor tenant. With joint venture partners, Chevron recently helped Australia replace Qatar as the world’s biggest exporter of liquified natural gas.