Gold Coast Twin Towers

The Gold Coast Twin Towers (also called E1 and E2 (Evo 1 and Evo 2) is a proposed building project located in Surfers Paradise, the tourism hub in Gold Coast, Australia with proposed heights of 320m and 340m (70 and 101 floors). E1 will be a residential tower though E2 will probably contain office space.E1 (the taller tower) would feature a roof-top garden, revolving garden restaurant and four sky gardens, as well as a skybridge connecting the two towers, similar to the Petronas Towers. Attractions within the development would include an Australian wine museum, an art gallery and an outdoor cafe precinct, the towers sprout from the substantial urban parkland proposed for the ground level of the site which will become the new 'green heart' of Surfers Paradise.

The $850 million proposal was prepared by Sydney-based developer Portberg property (financed by the Winchester Property Group) and if buit at is proposed height of 340m, it will become the tallest building in Australia, claiming the title from the current tallest building Q1 tower (321m), which is also on Gold Coast.

The design has been modelled similar to that of the 106-storey Empire World Towers in Miami and Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. It is planned to be built over the 600-space Bruce Bishop Car park and Bus Transit Centre although Portberg would keep the existing car park as well as adding additional spaces, the total number reaching more than 3000.

The project has currently (April 23rd, 2008) been submitted to the Gold Coast Council and is under consideration, though the project has upset many Gold Coast residents due to its height. The city is known for its recent "boom" in residential and hotel construction to accommodate its growing population and huge tourism industry.

Controversy

The project has upset many residents as yet another "monolith to clog up the city's skyline"- Cr Eddy Sarrof. Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke has vowed to implement slowed and tougher planning controls to Surfers Paradise, to stop the construction boom if he is re-elected in March."What we need to be doing is defending our position as Australia's most livable city" claimed the mayor, feeling, along with many other residents of the city, that this construction will lead to a population growth the city cannot handle.

The Record

If the tower were to be complete "today", presumably for residential purposes, it would claim the "tallest all-residential building in the world" title for Gold Coast, which is currently held by the 322m (1,058 feet including spire) Q1 tower (also on the Gold Coast), but at it's current proposed height it would not claim the title by the time it would be completed because of the 395 metre (1,296 ft) 23 Marina, under construction in Dubai and 414m Princess Tower, also under construction in Dubai, although E1 and E2 are stll only proposals and the heights could be increased.

References

*http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2007/09/27/3172_gold-coast-news.html- an article of Gold Coast Twin Towers proposal
*http://www.skyscraperlife.com/gold-coast-subforum/12719-gold-coast-news-thread.html
*http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=2135