Australian Planning Minister Matthew Guy has given the green light to the controversial construction plan for the largest residential skyscraper in the southern hemisphere. The decision is opposed because the building, which will be built in Melbourne, will overlook the Shrine of Remembrance, a monument dear to Melbourne's inhabitants, which commemorates the fallen of the First World War. Guy announced his decision by commenting via Twitter that the new building will become a new icon of the city of the State of Victoria.
The skyscraper, dubbed Australia 108, will be located on Southbank Boulevard and will be 388 meters tall. Divided into 108 floors, it will house 664 apartments and a six-star hotel with 288 rooms. It will be 91 meters taller than Eureka Tower, currently the tallest tower in Melbourne. The AUD 600 million project was designed by architect Fender Katsalidis and is financed by private investors such as Nonda Katsalidis, Benni Aroni, Adrian Valmorbida, Ian Fayman, Gary Caulfield and Mark Hopkinson.
Robert Doyle, of the Shrine's management committee, had expressed concern that Australia 108 would eclipse the war memorial. Investors have dismissed this assumption, calling it a political position. Melbourne City Council had opposed the construction, but the final decision rested with the ministry.
