55 SOUTHBANK IS THE WORLD’S TALLEST MASS TIMBER VERTICAL EXTENSION.
Vistek is proud to be the Mass Timber Engineer for 55 Southbank. 55 Southbank is a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) building extension in Melbourne, Victoria. Once completed, this project will deliver a 220 room serviced apartment building, to be run by Adina Hotels.
What makes 55 Southbank so unique
55 Southbank is a landmark project for CLT and Mass Timber construction for several reasons.
First of all, at 10 storeys it will be one of the tallest Mass Timber buildings in the country. Uniquely, however, it is being built atop an existing 6 storey building. It is of international significance as the tallest Mass Timber vertical extension in the world at the time of construction. This is a truly remarkable achievement.
A project made possible by Mass Timber
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, it has been CLT that has made it possible from the start of the project. The project was originally planned as just a 6 storey vertical extension using conventional structural materials. In contrast, the use of CLT enabled the extension to be pushed to 10 storeys. The selection of CLT therefore had a significant impact on the overall cost-effectiveness of the build. In other words, using CLT was a key factor in making the project financially feasible overall.
Likewise, CLT can be installed in the tight inner-city location in a highly agile manner. This further contributed to the project’s feasibility. CLT is highly practical for construction in tight spaces. Combined with the low impact nature of CLT builds, this means that the building underneath could remain occupied and operational during the construction of the extension on top.
New horizons in construction
To sum up, these important factors show that CLT is not simply a substitute for conventional building approaches. CLT actually has the ability to unlock value in projects that simply was not possible before.
55 Southbank is the result of a deep collaboration between the builder (Atelier Projects) and the Vistek design team. The project points to an evolution in how construction can be done, and opens up new horizons in property development.
55 SOUTHBANK – PROJECT DATA
The Team
Client – Hume Partners
Architect – Bates Smart
Builder – Atelier Projects
Mass Timber Engineer – Vistek
CLT Supplier – KLH (Austria)
The Results
Number of Serviced Apartments – 220
Number of CLT Panels – 1,850 approx.
Tonnes of CLT – 1,730 approx.
Cubic Metres of CLT – 3,675 approx.
Tonnes of CO2 Sequestered – 2,800 approx.
55 SOUTHBANK – GALLERY
Want to know more? Listen to the podcast.
To hear an in-depth discussion of the project, you can tune into the TimberTalks podcast.
Join WoodSolution’s Adam Jones as he discusses the details of 55 Southbank. With Julian Anderson (Bates Smart), Nathan Benbow (Vistek), and Rob Debrincat (Atelier Projects).
S1 E13 – 10 Storey CLT Extension – Part 1
S1 E14 10 Storey CLT Extension – Part 2
You can listen to these episodes and others here: https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/podcasts/timber-talks-series-1
