Wonka-style Apple flagship proposed for Melbourne's Fun Factory redevelopment

[AppleInsider]

Exclusive: A glass-crowned Apple flagship shop is part of lavish $200 million redevelopment project targeting a one-time amusement center in the Australian city of Melbourne, a design proposal shown to AppleInsider have revealed.

The plan, which got underway last year, calls for the demolition of the historic but under-utilized Fun Factory building on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in the city's South Yarra suburb. Developers want to replace the structure with a three-building, mixed-use development complex comprised of ground level retail shops, a hotel and a high-rise apartment building.

According to design documents, a cubed-shaped Apple store, reminiscent of the company's flagship location in San Francisco, would consume the largest chunk of space within the retail plaza. It would lay adjacent to both the hotel and apartment complex, interconnecting with those buildings at the podium level by a distinct and suspended translucent space frame characterized by circular, interconnecting rings.

The Melbourne site, if approved, would give way to just the second Apple-owned retail shop in Australia. Development planning for an initial location at 77 King Street in Sydney was confirmed for the first time earlier this week and said to be in the final stages. There, the iPod maker has proposed a three-story shop at the base of a sky-rise, clad by a similarly proportioned glass atrium along the frontal facade.

The Fun Factory building in South Yarra is believed to have been built in the late 1880s to house the Toorak cable tram system. However, when the system was electrified in 1926, the building fell into disrepair and turned vacant till it was taken over in 1933 by Capitol Bakeries. It reopened again to much fanfare in 1979 as the Fun Factory -- then one of Melbourne's largest amusement centers. Recently, the majority of the building has again turned dormant, a furniture retailer, burger joint, and arcade withstanding.

For Apple, its decent on Australia's retail scene will clear just one of several international targets caught within its cross-hairs. Over the next two years, the Cupertino-based firm is also expected to turn up inaugural shops in Italy, Scotland, France, and Germany. Its current fleet of 170 stores stretches the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Japan.

Apple Store design proposal for Fun Factory site in Melbourne, Australia.

The Apple Store exterior would include glass and aluminum panels.

High rises (left), circular, interconnecting rings (right).

Picnic tables line the side walks outside the Apple shop.

The suspended translucent space frame joining the structures.

The Fun Factory site from a distance.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[ai51240]

Looks pretty nice, but small in comparison to the other buildings next to it.

[SpamSandwich]

Looks cool. I'd love to go there and see it in person.

[donlphi]

Hope it will be done by the time I go there for my honeymoon (yeah, it's a ways away). It looks great!

"Honey, remember when I bought you that beautiful (expensive) ring? I've been thinking of a way you could get me something LIKE an engagement ring... only more computerish. Oh LOOK! An Apple Store!"

[ai51240]

Fun factory, indeed.

[jasondotcom]

Oh my God....I live on Chapel Street! I had no idea they were going to knock down the FF. I can see there being heritage objections, so I wonder how far the planning application process has got. It's a nice old building but not well used, a burger joint and video arcade (hence the "fun" I suppose) for years, quite out of keeping with the ritzy location. I'm impressed with AI's local knowledge and history of the site.

I'm a little surprised Apple's first store here would be in the suburbs not the city centre, but Chapel Street is the premier shopping strip in Australia so it makes sense to be there. Good for me too - I can walk there or catch a tram.

[Ireland]

I think those panels are aluminum, not stainless, I could be wrong though.
I couldn't help but notice Ireland wasn't on that list.

[iconsumer]

WARNING

i know how australia is when it comes to heritage listings or even old historic sites for that matter, if a property is near 100 years old it is automatically classed as a heritage site. AND there are many thousands of independent and very corrupt (think old convict colony days) local councils,

and i know that these councils just pray for a wealthy company to lodge a proposal, they have done it with BP and many other petroleum outlets ( i know BP because i had a 2 franchise's for several years) and many private builders for that matter, i know I'm in the trade and i have currently an uncle in front of the anti corruption tribunal regarding a certain council's demands for cash ( YES COUNCILS OVER HERE ARE QUITE OPEN ABOUT GETTING MONEY OUT OF DEVELOPERS)

good-luck apple, your going to need it when you deal with these jealous knockers we have here in this old convict colony

I'm not racist, just being very serious, many many australians just hate big money and can't wait to give it to the man.

we are a nations of critics and knockers,

oh and don't forget the locale residents, they can easily hold up multi million dollars projects, they have done it before and only quite when they get their way or are paid to leave you alone, they are like rates that smell a chance for money, it has happened to me !!

[tcn33]

An application for redevelopment of the site was approved in 2002, contingent upon the specific plans. It calls for "Development of the land for a 27 storey building (maximum height) for the accommodation of 213 dwellings, shops and food and drink premises and basement car parking (666 spaces) in addition to demolition of the existing buildings and use of the land for a residential building (78 serviced apartments) and the sale and consumption of liquor and the dispensation of car parking".

http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/pl...Number=0592/01

IMO the location is a mistake. Because of the fact that the City of Stonnington has extremely high standards for what it considers "gateway sites", final approval, demolition and construction of that site could take two years or more.

btw the time for protests, appeals etc is past. The permit is already approved.

[what the]

well that looks like a.... Nonda Katsalidis design if ever I have seen one.
Melbourne and Australia is lucky to have such an architect, and even luckier when they have that Apple Store

[jasondotcom]

Apparently any heritage concerns have been dispensed with and according to The Australian of 2 August 2006 plans were being finalised for the project. It seems Stonnington Council opposed the planning permit but lost an appeal at VCAT in 2002.

APN Property Group and Freedom Furniture chain co-founder Peter Palan are planning a $200 million joint redevelopment of South Yarra's landmark Fun Factory site.

Mr Palan obtained a permit in 2001 for a 27-storey building with 213 dwellings, up to 12,000sqm of retail space and 666 basement car spaces.

The permit allowed the demolition of existing buildings - including the Fun Factory building, now largely occupied by Freedom Furniture - to build 78 serviced apartments.

It also allowed the sale and consumption of liquor.

Stonnington City opposed the permit, but lost an appeal in 2002.

However, the council is still likely to play a role in the final outcome, with the joint developers expected to seek big changes to the original plans.


They have approval to demolish existing buildings and must commence construction by September 2008. The development forms part of a wider redevelopment plan for the "Forrest Hill Precinct". From Stonnington Council's Forrest Hill Precinct Strategic Plan:

Fun Factory site, 241-257 Toorak Road and 625 Chapel Street, South Yarra

The Fun Factory site, on the north-west corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street, is a strategic site that forms a primary gateway into the Prahran South Yarra Principal Activity Centre. The site has the capacity to accommodate an iconic podium-tower development due to its established gateway status, prominent corner location, and large overall lot size of approximately 6,000 m2.

The built form for this site should reinforce the primary gateway entry into the Prahran South Yarra Principal Activity Centre with a tower development that acts as an architectural landmark, achieves skyline prominence and that is well setback from the main street frontages, so as not to overwhelm these streetscapes. The podium levels should complement the existing streetscape of the Toorak Road/Chapel Street intersection, largely defined by the podium of the Como Centre and the height of the ‘Country Road’ building on the south-west corner. The site has the potential to make a significant contribution to urban consolidation and, at the ground and lower levels, to enhance the role of the wider Prahran South Yarra Principal Activity Centre
by providing retail uses and active frontages that revitalise this important main street intersection.

This site has current planning permit approval (permit 0592/01 that requires development works to have commenced by 6 September 2008), that allows for demolition of the existing buildings and development of the site comprising 4 and 6 storey podiums, a 12 storey building at 241 Toorak Road and a 27 storey building setback from the Toorak Road/Chapel Street corner of the site, to be used for dwellings, serviced apartments, shops, food and drink premises and a multi level basement car park.

Here's a good overview picture showing the development's location relative to the city etc. It's going to be quite a significant development...a good place for Apple to choose.

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7359/cdb7fifj9.jpg

[iconsumer]

Originally Posted by tcn33

btw the time for protests, appeals etc is past. The permit is already approved.

it ain't over till the fat lady sings,

don't get me wrong, i'm all for it, but when i read "historic" I GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE

don't be surprised when locales come out to stop demolition, they can do it, and no one knows if or when it will happen,

[intehnet]

especially in melbourne! many heritage buildings..
hope this gets built though, it's a nice looking complex in a nice area

[OfficerDigby]

Does anybody know what these design pictures were created in?

which application.

thanks

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by jasondotcom

I'm a little surprised Apple's first store here would be in the suburbs not the city centre, but Chapel Street is the premier shopping strip in Australia so it makes sense to be there. Good for me too - I can walk there or catch a tram.

Yeah.... Frack me. It's great. Chapel St is really boutique-y, and a short tram ride out of the CBD. Good location, at least not crammed into some shopping mall like Doncaster or Chadstone.

Melbourne has a ton of heritage sites but in the past 10 years there have been major modern developments - Federation Square, major big buildings at Melbourne Uni, The Westin CBD, Eureka Tower, Doncaster and Chadstone massive shopping mall overhauls (Doncaster Westfield now starting), and Austin Hospital major overhaul big-ass complex. Also the place where there used to be a skate park in the CBD next to the State Library that's now a big ass building, and the BHP-Billiton building which AFAIK just came up in the past 5 years.

And well done AppleInsider, keep us informed on Europe and Australia expansion. Also, any news on Apple cracking their Japanese market issues.

Mm.... Chapel St. I remember getting drunk there a few times in 1999 - they had a bar (what was it called?) that served mainly ice-cocktails.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by ai51240

Looks pretty nice, but small in comparison to the other buildings next to it.

The buildings next to it will be massive compared to just the one-or-two-storey shops along the road.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by iconsumer

it ain't over till the fat lady sings,
don't get me wrong, i'm all for it, but when i read "historic" I GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE
don't be surprised when locales come out to stop demolition, they can do it, and no one knows if or when it will happen,

Sounds like iSteve's California home troubles.

[emit]

Originally Posted by sunilraman

Mm.... Chapel St. I remember getting drunk there a few times in 1999 - they had a bar (what was it called?) that served mainly ice-cocktails.

It's called Frost Bites. (shudder).

[emit]

Originally Posted by iconsumer

it ain't over till the fat lady sings,

don't get me wrong, i'm all for it, but when i read "historic" I GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE

don't be surprised when locales come out to stop demolition, they can do it, and no one knows if or when it will happen,

Things are a bit different in Victoria: What VCAT says, goes. Public protests and annoyed neighbours can't really do much at all. A few years ago, the government effectively took responsibility for urban planning away from individual councils and gave it to VCAT, who have the final say on what can and can't be built.

It's a rare event when VCAT denies a development application: that hideous extension to the Espy in St Kilda was approved; but they denied any development for the area to the north of Luna Park. Like it or not, that development is going ahead. The property is too valuable to sit vacant for long: top end of a high-end shopping strip, on two tram routes, near a well-served train station - not to mention it's in South Yarra!

[iconsumer]

Originally Posted by emit

Things are a bit different in Victoria: What VCAT says, goes. Public protests and annoyed neighbors can't really do much at all. A few years ago, the government effectively took responsibility for urban planning away from individual councils and gave it to VCAT, who have the final say on what can and can't be built.

It's a rare event when VCAT denies a development application: that hideous extension to the Espy in St Kilda was approved; but they denied any development for the area to the north of Luna Park. Like it or not, that development is going ahead. The property is too valuable to sit vacant for long: top end of a high-end shopping strip, on two tram routes, near a well-served train station - not to mention it's in South Yarra!

i stand corrected, i didn't know things where that good in victoria, i have never built there, it's good that the government has taken control over development consents,
here in n.s.w. it is common for property developers to book a date with the land and environment courts at the same time they lodge building plans with council.
the reason for this is that they know the varied councils will reject the plans or put in place so many conditions and bribes (section 94 contributions fees ) that it is no longer feasible to continue with the project, and as such they don't want to wast time waiting months for a rejection then wait again while they have a court date to object to council's decisions. the courts often rule in favor of developers ..... but you have to go through the councils to start with

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by emit

It's called Frost Bites. (shudder).

Awww yeah... I remember now. Thanks mate 8)
Is it bad that we remember it from the late-90's [?]

F*k I'm getting old, man...! And I'm only 28. Is it still around?
Probably not... Mmmm... some good daquiris besides their boutique ice-cream(?)-ice cocktail stuff.

[a_greer]

Come on, why give the Ausies a store when Manhattan has so few

[jasondotcom]

Originally Posted by sunilraman

Awww yeah... I remember now. Thanks mate 8)
Is it bad that we remember it from the late-90's [?]

F*k I'm getting old, man...! And I'm only 28. Is it still around?
Probably not... Mmmm... some good daquiris besides their boutique ice-cream(?)-ice cocktail stuff.

Oh yeah, it's still there. I just walked past it 10 minutes ago...and thought of you.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by jasondotcom

Oh yeah, it's still there. I just walked past it 10 minutes ago...and thought of you.

Heh. I'm leaving Melbourne next Wednesday. A friend of mine from the Netherlands is supposed to be in town, and we're trying to catch up before I leave. She was part of our "uni group" here when I moved from Brisvegas to MelbourneUni to finish my 4th year of Science. Geez... Can't believe it's still there.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by a_greer

Come on, why give the Ausies a store when Manhattan has so few

Heh. We'll have TWO stores now... Sydney + Melbourne ..... Wooooooo

[yvo84]

That's awesome, i love it. But the people in that area think far too highly of themselves, i'm more of a cbd person -- i wish they'd put it in Melbourne Central when they were developing that complex.

[tomozj]

I'd just like to add, that this is the sexiest Apple Store I've seen.

I hope none stands in the way of Apple, heh.

-tj

[jasondotcom]

Originally Posted by sunilraman

Heh. I'm leaving Melbourne next Wednesday. A friend of mine from the Netherlands is supposed to be in town, and we're trying to catch up before I leave. She was part of our "uni group" here when I moved from Brisvegas to MelbourneUni to finish my 4th year of Science. Geez... Can't believe it's still there.

I thought you were in BrisVegas...you seem to get around a bit...

[jasondotcom]

Originally Posted by yvo84

That's awesome, i love it. But the people in that area think far too highly of themselves, i'm more of a cbd person -- i wish they'd put it in Melbourne Central when they were developing that complex.

I'm more a 'dark end' of Chapel kind of guy and hadn't been up the ritzy end for ages until today. You are so right, wankers as far as the eye could see.

[ashish100]

I reckon Eastern End of the CBD. Collins St is a good place, well, a very good place. But imagine if it was in a laneway, or something like Flinders La, or Little Collins.

MMM nummy.

[Mooch]

Originally Posted by ashish100

I reckon Eastern End of the CBD. Collins St is a good place, well, a very good place. But imagine if it was in a laneway, or something like Flinders La, or Little Collins.

MMM nummy.

Canada's apple stores suck. I wonder when we'll get a cool one.

[tbsstunta]

Exactly what about that is Wonka-styled? If that's Willie Wonka-styling, then Wonka was one dull mofo.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by tbsstunta

Exactly what about that is Wonka-styled? If that's Willie Wonka-styling, then Wonka was one dull mofo.

Good Point. I was thinking closer to Guggenheim Bilbao, a place that has very few straight lines. The few that are there aren't parallel or perpendicular to anything.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by jasondotcom

I thought you were in BrisVegas...you seem to get around a bit...

A bit of a global vagabond, I be.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by tbsstunta

Exactly what about that is Wonka-styled? If that's Willie Wonka-styling, then Wonka was one dull mofo.

I think it's just a story element AppleInsider has thrown in. Melbourne in this decade, and progressively through the 90's, have moved in a very post-modern way in terms of architecture.

A major development, for example, is a quite bizzare "Federation Square" (images below). Also Eureka Towers which is not necessarily a standard-looking skyscraper.

The FunFactory redevelopment (as in the whole complex) won't be as "crazy" but generally will be post-modernistic. Unlike the trendy-futuristic of Dubai skyscrapers, or the clean cube lines of AppleStore NYC flagship, AppleStore SanFrancisco for example. Of course the Apple part of FunFactory will be fairly clean and cube-y, I think... Wonka factor probably comes in from the surrounding elements of the building/ apartment/ cafe/ retail complex.

That's my take on it at the moment anyway.

Federation Square:





Eureka Tower:

[klif-e]

Originally Posted by jasondotcom

I'm more a 'dark end' of Chapel kind of guy and hadn't been up the ritzy end for ages until today. You are so right, wankers as far as the eye could see.

Completely agree

I don't live far from the area, in fact I cycle past the site every morning on my way to the city.

Very glad Apple is coming to Australia with its Melbourne and Sydney stores.

But why place a premium store like the proposed Melbourne one anywhere but in the city itself!

Unless Apple wants to do itself out of sales.

[sunilraman]

Originally Posted by jasondotcom

I'm more a 'dark end' of Chapel kind of guy and hadn't been up the ritzy end for ages until today. You are so right, wankers as far as the eye could see.

Haven't you heard? Only wankers buy Macs.
The PC and Mac guy ads made that quite clear.

[sunilraman]

[cross-post, bear with me]
Nonetheless, Apple Australia has announced a rebranding in line with their flagship Apple Store Openings: (image)

[iconsumer]

Originally Posted by sunilraman

[cross-post, bear with me]
Nonetheless, Apple Australia has announced a rebranding in line with their flagship Apple Store Openings: (image)

is that a granny smith apple

[jasondotcom]

Originally Posted by sunilraman

I think it's just a story element AppleInsider has thrown in. Melbourne in this decade, and progressively through the 90's, have moved in a very post-modern way in terms of architecture.

A major development, for example, is a quite bizzare "Federation Square" (images below). Also Eureka Towers which is not necessarily a standard-looking skyscraper.

The FunFactory redevelopment (as in the whole complex) won't be as "crazy" but generally will be post-modernistic. Unlike the trendy-futuristic of Dubai skyscrapers, or the clean cube lines of AppleStore NYC flagship, AppleStore SanFrancisco for example. Of course the Apple part of FunFactory will be fairly clean and cube-y, I think... Wonka factor probably comes in from the surrounding elements of the building/ apartment/ cafe/ retail complex.

Somehow I doubt Appleinsider knows much about architectural trends in Melbourne. According to the urban dictionary of slang "wonka style" means sleeping head-to-toe with someone, ala the wonka grandparents.

It could also mean a giveaway of gold tickets hidden in iPod packaging. Tickets to a special afternoon of adventure with Uncle Steve at his brand new Fun Factory. I bet AI knows more about this than they're letting on.