Twist on theme as Surfers Paradise gets more twin towers

An artist’s impression of the River Terrace twin tower development in Surfers Paradise.
An artist’s impression of the River Terrace twin tower development in Surfers Paradise.

Twin towers housing more than 500 apartments and 280 hotel rooms have been approved by the Gold Coast City Council for Surfers Paradise.

Plus Architecture conceived the twisted design for Chinese developer Sheng-Lan Group, to give the towers “a unique identity on the Gold Coast skyline”.

Standing 38 and 50 storeys high, tower one would house 436 dwellings including 280 hotel suites and 156 apartments while tower two would have 352 dwellings including five townhouses.

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Sheng-Lan Group, previously known as Sunnyland Group, paid $16 million last year for the vacant 5000sqm site at 2-20 River Terrace and 42-46 Enderley Avenue.

The site is within a kilometre of the Cavill St Mall and in walking distance of the Northcliffe light rail station. The development will include a full-floor recreation deck on level two featuring an infinity pool, gym, spa, yoga/pilates studio and communal lounge and barbecue area. There would be underground parking for 439 cars and 711 bicycle spaces.

The development application says the proposal is “consistent with the height and scale of existing developments that characterised the neighbourhood and the city’s high-rise spine”. The unique appearance of the two towers’ twisted forms will contribute to the diversity of the skyline and enhance its image as part of the city’s identity, the application says.

The twin towers are the latest in a growing pipeline of apartment projects planned for the Gold Coast. Others include the under-construction $1 billion Jewel apartments at Surfers Paradise; a range of projects by the Morris Property Group at Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach and Burleigh Heads; and Sunland’s twin tower redevelopment of Greenmount Beach Resort.

Property researcher Michael Matusik says the Gold Coast population is growing by about 12,500 a year, creating the need for 5000 new dwellings a year.

“Expanding tourism is also fuelling new dwelling demand,” Matusik says. “Just over 5 million tourists stayed overnight on the Gold Coast last year, for a total of 24 million nights. That was up 7% on the previous year.”

He says property sales volumes in 2017 were more than double those of five years ago, with 8500 detached houses, 10,000 apartments, 4000 townhouses and 2500 vacant lots sold.

“We expect that after the Commonwealth Games the market will cool, but there is little to warrant a market bust,” he says.

This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.