Zaha Hadid is once again raising her Australian profile by designing a 54-storey tower at 582-606 Collins Street in Melbourne. Designed in partnership with local firm Plus Architecture, the building would be the London architect's first project in the Victorian capital.

Landream is the developer behind the tower, which takes the form of several sculptural volumes rising from a large podium structure. Each volume is curved inward at its base, making room for individual open spaces at several levels.

582-606 Collins Street, image via Landream

The tower is wrapped in white structural columns which help ease solar heat gain, with the goal of using 50 percent less energy than a typical mixed-use building. Hadid states the lacework is intended to reflect Melbourne's historical past, with filigree colonnades encasing the structure. On the ground, a public plaza and pedestrian link between Collins and Francis Streets will help ease congestion and create new gathering places.

The building would house 420 residential units, 60,000 square feet of office space, and 118,000 square feet of retail. Rules introduced last year to restrict the height and density of new towers in the Central Business District have already taken their toll on the project, which has undergone a height reduction to conform with the updated laws. However, the project still exceeds the permissible plot ratio outlined under the new rules, so further tweaking could occur.

Grace on Coronation, image via Sunland Group

This isn't Hadid's first venture into Australia. Her firm designed a trio of towers in Brisbane, Grace on Coronation, which have been approved by the local government. Another 44-storey twin tower complex for the Gold Coast includes residences, a boutique hotel, retail, an aquarium, gallery space, and gardens. Both developments were unveiled last year and are being built by Sunland Group.

Mariner's Cove, image via Sunland Group

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