Fender Katsalidis' ever-changing place in Melbourne's skyline

As we look to what's ahead for 2012, Property Observer is republishing some of our most noteworthy stories of 2011.

Stand anywhere in the Melbourne CBD and it’s almost impossible for an upwards-glancing eye not to catch one of Fender Katsalidis Architects’ distinctive residential towers.

There’s the gold-capped peak of Southbank’s Eureka Tower (pictured above), the rocket-like Republic Tower (pictured above) on the corner of Queen and La Trobe streets, the revolutionary Little Hero building and its Lego-style construction method in Russell Place, and just about all of New Quay in the Docklands, to name just a few.

Fender Katsalidis buildings are typically low-impact, high-density designs that aim to create a “vertical neighbourhood” for CBD dwellers.

Both Karl Fender and Nonda Katsalidis are public proponents of high-density living as opposed to the flat urban sprawl embraced by the baby boomers.

“You have to keep your mind open to new housing typologies that use less land, and in so doing give greater community facility,’’ Fender says. ‘‘Because the idea of just building houses cheek-by-jowl and going on forever is just not sustainable”. Although he does add: “You don’t have to go building Eurekas all over town”.

Most of FKA‘s apartments are designed to be relatively affordable, which ties in with the firm’s outspoken intention to convince the average buyer to embrace high-density living. Affordability, Fender says, is the key to encouraging buyers to choose an apartment over traditional house and land.

Apartments in the upcoming Fulton Lane development for example are being offered at a starting price of $365,000. The development is the first in Australia for Malaysian group SP Setia, which reported in June that 70% of Fulton Lane’s apartments had sold off the plan in just three days.

At 108 Flinders Street, where construction has just commenced on a 12-storey development tucked in behind AC/DC Lane, a one-bedroom can be snapped up for $390,000. Developer Riverlea announced in August that 85% of 108’s apartments were sold before construction began in September.

While FKA’s main focus is on affordable high-density living, the firm does have its trophies. At time of writing, the Eureka Tower’s penthouse, which occupies the entire 84th floor of the building is on the market. It’s expected to fetch upwards of $13 million.

Karl Fender and Nonda Katsalidis’ Melbourne footprint began with the Katsalidis solo project Melbourne Terrace Apartments (pictured above), just near the Queen Victoria Markets on Franklin Street. Opened in 1994, it was one of the first residential developments to come out of Jeff Kennett’s Postcode 3000 planning policy in the early ’90s, aimed at encouraging Melburnians to live in the CBD. The plan had its critics, – ‘‘where will people buy milk, Myer?’’ was a running joke – but they were ultimately proven wrong as Melbourne was put on a pedestal as an example of how to reinvigorate a city centre so it becomes not only a place of work, but also of entertainment, and for many, a place to live.

Considered an early test case for the ambitious Postcode 3000 strategy, Katsalidis’ Melbourne Terrace Apartments were lauded as a new model for medium- and high-rise living in the CBD. Its success would convince architects and planners that CBD living was not only possible, it had the potential to move Melbourne towards gaining the ‘‘most liveable city’’ badge it proudly wears now.

It also established Nonda Katsalidis as an architect to watch in Australia. In 1996, he would merge with Bob Nation and Karl Fender to create Nation Fender Katsalidis, which would go on to build some of Melbourne’s most recognisable landmarks.

On Monday we will look at the next step for Fender Katsilidis and its projects outside Victoria.