A residential building featuring a unique, cascading design may be built at a former quarry site in Hamilton.
Read: Why Toorak on Annie St is a House of Prominence in Hamilton
A development application has been submitted for 336 Kingsford Smith Drive in Hamilton, in what was once the site of a historic quarry. The site was sold for $5.5 million in 2019.
Designed by Plus Architecture, the proposed building will feature a step-down design which is quite unique, compared to the properties in the neighbourhood.
“The architectural design has responded to the site topography by nestling the proposed building into the escarpment of the site and terracing the building with the rise in Quarry Street,” planners stated in a report.
“As a result, the building has a two-storey interface to Kingsford-Smith Drive to the south and two-storey interface to the north of the site (the existing ground level of Quarry Street) with building height transitioning in between.”
The six-storey residential building will consist of five two-bedroom apartments, seven three-bedroom apartments, and three four-bedroom apartments, all ranging between 65 sqm and 125 sqm in size.
With its river and city views, Hamilton is considered by the developer as one of the premier locations in Brisbane. A number of good developers are doing off their plans in Hamilton, where there’s a consistent market for luxury homes.
“The proposal provides a high-quality and contemporary architectural design outcome that responds to the continually developing and diverse character of Kingsford Smith Drive and Quarry Street while remaining respectful of the materiality and architectural themes of the remaining pre-1947 character in Quarry Street,” the assessment report reads.
In terms of public transport, the developer included Council’s Gold CityGlider bus service in its proposal, which aims to “provide further increased high-frequency public transport for the site and locality.”
The new proposed City Glider would connect Hamilton to Woolloongabba, via Fortitude Valley, Eagle Street, and Mary Street.
Locals’ Feedback
The development application (A006047163) requires an impact assessment under the City Plan, which means it will undergo public notification prior to Council making a decision.
It received a few submissions from residents, who opposed the development mainly because of its built form, which is described as “not consistent with the character and intensity of the surrounding streetscape.”
With regard to the design, the applicant explained in the planning documents that the proposed built form has been deliberately designed to respond to this historic land use and the resulting landform.
