UEM Sunrise commences construction of Conservatory

MELBOURNE (Oct 12): Property developer UEM Sunrise Bhd has commenced construction of Conservatory, its second project in Melbourne, Australia, the group announced in a press release today.

The group has appointed Hickory Group Pty Ltd (Hickory) as the builder for the building.

“The company is thrilled to begin the construction of our A$330 million (RM1.05 billion), 42-storey property which has had a take-up rate of 90% to date, said UEM Sunrise managing director and CEO Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib.

“Following the success of our first Australian project, the Aurora Melbourne Central, we are excited to fulfil our promise of delivering quality, luxury projects in Australia with Conservatory, and demonstrate our longstanding commitment to delivering living spaces that resonate with the rich Melbourne culture,” he said.

“Conservatory lies next to the Carlton Gardens whereby it reflects luxury, park-side living with its quality interiors and all the finer things in life such as a private Jacuzzi, observation skydeck, private cinema and golf simulator, among other faciltiies, UEM Sunrise chief operating officer (commercial) Raymond Cheah added.

The project offers 446 units of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom residences and three levels of residential facilities, including a pool, gymnasium, yoga zone, BBQ pit, entertainment deck, private cinema and two expansive Jacuzzis on the Level 42 Carlton Skydeck overseeing the Carlton Gardens.

The project is located in between the Unesco World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, as well as Melbourne’s CBD.

It will also offer stunning views and direct access to the landmark gardens and Royal Exhibition Building.

Its exterior will resemble an elegant glasshouse whereby Hickory has been appointed to transform the design by Cox Architecture Pty Ltd into a curving glass façade which will change colours with the seasons reflecting the gardens below.

Construction commenced following the completion of an archaeological dig on the site at 9-23 McKenzie St. The archaeological excavation conducted by consultants TerraCulture Pty Ltd uncovered over 250,000 fragments of artefacts, including from Melbourne’s Gold Rush era such as a gold nugget, early silver coins, and Rising Sun military badges.

“It has been an amazing experience for the team to uncover the site’s historical significance during excavation and we are very excited to now see the project progress into the construction phase, ” said Hickory managing director Michael Argyrou.

Construction is expected to be completed by end-2018.