Docklands timber tower Forté two months and two floors short of completion

Lend Lease’s timber high-rise tower development Forté is just two floors shy of its final height in its 10th week of construction.

Although construction was on hold Friday with rainy Melbourne weather, the construction on the Docklands project is well and truly under way, with glimpses of work being started on the eighth floor.

 The rapid rise of this tower means it is now easily visible from Collins Street, with expected completion in October.

Australia’s first cross-laminated timber high-rise apartment block is set to be 10 storeys high, making it the tallest timber building in the world, overtaking the eight-storey apartment block Stadthaus, Murray Grove, in London.

 The $11 million timber tower will be comprised of approximately 760 panels, measuring up to 16.5 metres by three metres, shipped from Austria. The panels were specifically made for Australian conditions.

Daryl Patterson, head of operations at Lend Lease, says the quick construction of the tower is mainly due to its similarities to that of an Ikea flat-pack.

 The timber flooring of 145 millimetres and walls of 128 millimetres are stacked as a platform on top of each other and screwed together. This type of construction means the building can be erected 30% faster than more traditional building methods.

Forté's progress as of June 8

Forté's progress as of June 29

Forté's progress as of July 13

Forté's progress as of August 20