Located at 447 Collins Street, the $AUD 1.25 billion Collins Arch is Melbourne’s first truly mixed-use development. Spanning a 6,000m2 city block, the development includes luxury apartments, a five-star hotel, WELL-rated offices, retail and 2,000m2 of public open space including a tiered amphitheatre. The 5-star Greenstar complex is anticipated to receive the Australian Excellence designation for sustainability.

With slightly different forms, the pair of Collins Arch towers both rise 164 metres, united at the top by the eight-storey skybridge that measure 14 metres in length.

“Designed by SHoP Architects and Woods Bagot, the development’s two 39-level towers are linked by a spectacular eight-story Sky bridge spanning 14 metres. A total of 202 residential apartments occupy parts of both towers, including the Sky bridge, providing views across Melbourne. Residential amenities are located at level 34 with an additional sky garden located at level 39.

The W Hotel has taken residence in the East Tower, with 294 guest rooms across 15 levels, while the West tower contains the bulk of the 49,000sq PCA premium grade office accommodation.” ~ MULTIPLEX

Collins Arch features 184 one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury residences. Each residence is an expression of timeless aesthetic, with a sense of space and light enhanced by floor-to-ceiling windows framing breathtaking Melbourne views. Resort-style residential amenities anchor the sky bridge on Level 34 and include the residents’ lounge, pool, gym, yoga studio, wine cellars and two private dining rooms with full kitchen facilities.

“Viewing it from ground level, this is a building where no roofs are apparent. Starting from the open crown at the apex, the exterior cascades down as a series of stepped terraces that are strategically placed to allow for most of the building to be habitable by people or green roofs.

Through vertical stacking, each floor plate has been optimized to dedicate half of the site back to the city as public spaces. The permeable ground plane combines a series of outdoor rooms, a new urban park—Melbourne’s first in 40 years—and programmed edge conditions to create a diversity of experiences for workers, residents and visitors to enjoy.” ~ Woods Bagot

Fytogreen was proud to be involved in this stunning unique greening project in the Melbourne CBD. The company says, “Our involvement began with initial consultation and evolved into a project for design, supply and installation of the greening infrastructure along the central concourse, including all four façades within stainless steel planter boxes and providing additional sloping green walls on the ground level.”

In late 2017, Fytogreen Australia Director Geoff Heard, started work with the inhouse design and botanist team Erik van Zuilekom and Mitchell Clouten, designing for Collins Arch, consulting with the architect, builder and client. After the design approval process was completed, the key item of selecting and securing the Liriodendron tree was undertaken, so the advanced growth of 7.5m was ready for crane lifting in.

Onsite work commenced in March 2020 with the tree being craned in and maintained while the rest of the void space was constructed.

The green wall also was installed in March and the pre-grown green façades for the central concourse were installed in May 2020. With the final section of level 39, 40 and 41 gardens and climber elements commencing in June with a team of five skilled installers completing the installation by late September 2020.

Fytogreen designed, fabricated and installed stylish tapered stainless steel planter boxes for Levels 40 and 41; the northern and southern façades have cascading plants, while the climbers on the eastern and western façades are supported by architectural mesh from Tensile.

The main challenge Fytogreen faced for this huge greening project was coordinating with the steel fabricators for the green wall frame that runs along William Street, as each green wall was sloping in two directions – but the final product is looking fantastic and is thriving.

In total, the 179m² Collins Arch Sky Garden includes façades and planter boxes, and the exterior FytoWall Vertical Garden measures 68m².

Fytogreen focuses on sustainable biophilic design ensuring the species chosen thrive throughout their natural lifespan in their elevated environment.

“We prefer to get involved early and work with architects and landscape architects at the design stage when possible, so that the design is well thought out, with sufficient consideration for light and wind conditions, constructibility and importantly, future maintenance access and feasibility,” said Lisa Carson, Fytogreen’s marketing coordinator.

“We have developed numerous products to advance the green infrastructure cause, all thoroughly researched and tested, which has enabled Fytogreen to lead the way in developing Fire Compliant Greenwall systems and the super lightweight Fytoarbour system throughout 2020 and beyond.” ~ Lisa Carson, Fytogreen

Awards include: 2021 Victorian Architecture Award – The Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture.