Location: 308 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC
Scope: Comprehensive podium and tower panels development, integrating innovative safety and design features.
Completion Year: 2023
Architect: Fender Katsalidis and Cox Architecture
Builder/Contractor:Multiplex
ShapeShift Product: ShapeShell™-RC advanced Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC) façade panels
The Shangri-La development at 308 Exhibition Street in Melbourne is a $600 million twin-tower project that combines premium residential living with a five-star international hotel. Designed by Fender Katsalidis in collaboration with Cox Architecture and delivered by Multiplex, the scheme comprises a 59-storey residential tower known as Sapphire by the Gardens and a 61-storey tower housing Melbourne’s first Shangri-La hotel. The two towers are linked at level 46 by a distinctive sky-bridge with an oculus glass floor that offers views across Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building.
The purpose of the Shangri-La development at 308 Exhibition Street was to create a landmark mixed-use precinct that combines luxury residential apartments with a world-class hotel, strengthening Melbourne’s position as a global city. The project aimed to deliver high-quality living spaces with expansive views, alongside the city’s first Shangri-La hotel, bringing international hospitality to the CBD. The challenges were significant: construction had to take place directly above a live railway tunnel, requiring a three-metre-deep raft foundation and one of the largest continuous concrete pours undertaken in Melbourne. The installation of the sky-bridge at level 46 introduced further complexity, demanding precise engineering and safety measures to suspend a link structure between two towers more than 200 metres above ground. In addition, the confined CBD location required careful logistical planning to coordinate materials, workforce, and equipment within a highly restricted site.
ShapeShift provides the design, engineering, manufacture, and supply of prefabricated façade cladding panels for complex architectural projects. Their scope covers feasibility review, detailed 2D/3D design, certification, CNC tooling, and production of high-performance ShapeShell-RC (reinforced concrete) panels, which are lightweight, durable, and non-combustible. They deliver complete documentation, custom fixing systems, and logistics, with panels pre-packed into shipping containers for efficient site delivery. While installation is excluded, ShapeShift’s value lies in their expertise with complex geometries, ISO-certified quality, and risk reduction through precision prefabrication—making them a specialist façade supplier for high-profile developments.
ShapeShift provides innovative, sustainable, and high-quality cladding solutions for modern architectural projects. If you’re ready to bring your vision to life with ShapeShell’s advanced GRC materials, contact us today!
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