8 August 2005

SkyPlaza - the location! the colour scheme!

| Smackbang
Join the conversation
28

Since I saw the first proposals for a 20-storey residential tower next to the Southern Cross Club, I have never understood the idea behind SkyPlaza. It strikes me that residents of this tower can expect to enjoy lovely views of the multi-storey carpark at Woden Plaza Westfield Woden and even perhaps might get to overlook the Southern Cross itself, or maybe even KFC and JB Hi-Fi. But each to their own – if people want to pay huge amounts of money to live there, that’s their decision.

But now they’ve started to paint the building in a bizarre mix of cream, purple, white and yellow. Who thought this was a good idea? Was it too much to expect this building might be painted in a neutral, less offensive, colour scheme? How about white?

Join the conversation

28
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Hey great to trigger some debate about good commercial architecture! Now can someone tell me about what are the good looking residential areas?

10, 12, 6 – im an idea guy. details are for the architect…

do you know what the bulding im referring to is called ?

i’ll check it out next time im at the wig and pen.

10 or 12 level bldg across vfrom the AFP hq ?
you must mean the CASA building on the corner of northbourne.. nothing else near it is that tall..
the buildings on mort street are only 6 levels, the building across bunda st is only 4 levels i beleive..

If we’re thinking of the same building at Calvary I’m pretty sure I recall that being a boiler/maintainence room. And yeah, Benjamin offices kick (kicked?) ass.

There are some nice examples of architecture hiding in canberra.

One 10-12 level building opposite afp hq in civic, its an older late 60’s early 70’s design building but im not sure what its called. the exterior is bizarre, not quite horizontal white slabs. very cool.

APSC building in barton is pretty avant garde, for an office building.

Benjamin offices in belco, are an amazing design.
funky exterior, foot traffic seperated from car traffic by walkways. until they tore down the walkway to build a new kelvinator building for dimea, you could walk from the bus exchange all the way to the benjamin offices without hitting street level. i notice that the builders designed a similar ‘walkway’ node at the other end of the building but across that road is afp winchester centre, and sadly they dont have a walkway.

in fact, i quite like the various above street walkways around canberra, its a unique canberra thing.

what else…

i like the building at calvary that fronts haydon drive it is brown brick and concrete and looks striking. i have no idea what the building is.

sadly, most urban housing is just bland.

Oh no wait, now I getcha. This is Spitfire’s stupid twin, by the way, so ignore everything I say.

Dunlop’s been moved to Gungahlin now?

Gungahlin = Coronation Street on so many levels.

Well it works for me anyway…

I particularly love my unobstructed 270 degree view of countryside over the vast wilderness of undeveloped land that is the northern border of the ACT and NSW.

Dunno about architecture, but the natural scenery is ooh-ahh

I like the old TAFE building opposite Woden plaza (The space-station looking thing that now houses IntACT)

I know. All those apartments going up around the Gungahlin town centre are looking hideous. Dingy alleys and probably a lack of light in the winter. And what about all those 3 and 4 bedroom houses with no yards?

Getting off cars, and back to ugly architecture…
Is there ANY nice architecture in Canberra?
When it comes to ugly houses and flats, the town seems to have the nation-wide monopoly!
And like: what the hell is happening at Gungahlin??? The 80s equivalents of the Northbourne Ave flats, being built in the noughties…
Is there anywhere we can move to that has attractive housing?

Don’t get me wrong lads, I’ve no dramas with utes. They have a special spot in Australia’s cultural heart.

Mael and Ralph, don’t take this personally (as I didn’t know you drove or were buying a ute and I think you both have a fair grip on reality), but anyone who buys a ute because they’re fashionable is a poser. If the tray is utilised; even if it’s a weekend load to the tip then your safe (barely).

It’s just the brigade of ‘soul-bogan’ thirty something IT geeks driving around an SS or Pursuit ute that get my goat. Pack of posing wankers who bring disrepute to the institution that is utility vehicles in this fair country.

I would have thought the prominence of the twin cab ute would be the answer to your prayers

Careful Bulldog, I’ve been slowly manipulating my wife for years in order to persuade her that a ute is our next logical vehicle purchase, for instance, what better than a utility to take the gardenwaste to the dump on a weekend !

Obviously the hidden agenda for me is seeing just how many cartons of beer I can fit in the back without actually killing myself with over consumption.

Anyway, you’re tipping the balance by not supporting the ute…

It’s not just the colour of those flats that’s offensive, it’s the fact they seem to have been thought up in the Harry Triguboff (Meriton) School of Architecture.

It’s possible to make interesting designs for high-rise apartments, but you wouldn’t think that when looking at the boring cookie-cutter boxes piled on top of each other at Woden.

It’s the old three-storey walk up style from the ’50s and ’60s built on a larger scale.

Anything that is a Sportsy Magna or Camry qualifies as well.

Fuck they are gay. Go the front wheel drives! Definately cars for the cardigan wearers.

Alos, anyone driving a ute that doesn’t see tools or soil in the tray would have to qualify.

I already know I’m a bogan, but I guess I can add wanker to the list too now.

Completely untrue Ralph, but I think I left myself wide open for that one

Anything that is a Sportsy Magna or Camry qualifies as well. Just becasue it says ‘VRX’ or ‘Sportivo’ doesn’t change the fact that it’s a Public Servant’s weapon of choice.

Alos, anyone driving a ute that doesn’t see tools or soil in the tray would have to qualify. Why buy a ute if you don’t need one? Wankers, that’s why.

That’d be XR6Ts vg.

Dunno dude, I’m not that into cars.

Just so I can clarify it in my own mind, what sort of cars are soul-bogans driving? WRXs, SS Utes?

RE: The views…. Actually, the views from there would extend over the lake to Civic & lots of things in between. Of course, you’d have to have one of the top (or close to) level apartments.

soul-bogan. nice.

In the spirit of not having seen it yet I’d like to add that it can’t be that bad. Unless of course you are in a position where you can’t not look at it. Doubtful.

I’m fairly certain that the purple you refer to is just undercoat.

well we need to build homes for cashed up garish soul-bogans somewhere

Woden feels about right

My hand is way way up.

In any case, just count your lucky stars it wasn’t built twenty years ago, becasue like everything in Canberra at the time (and even still), it would be mission brown.

Besides, since the NMA we really haven’t had enough monumental eye-sores to complain about.

I think someone will come up with a witty nickname for it before it’s even finished.

I hope to be that person 🙂

I’m reserving my judgement until it’s closer to finished. So far it hasn’t offended me.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.