Empress Towers (pictured) is located in Battery Point, and if you look into the history there were plans for a string of tower blocks dotted around the suburb that never eventuated. At the other end of Battery Point where the suburb of Sandy Bay begins there are a few tower blocks dotted along the foreshore. These tower blocks give a visual history as to a plan that was never fully realised.
Contray to popular belief Battery Point has a wide mix of housing. Take a walk around and there is an amazing mix of 1800s, Federation, Art Deco and Post War architecture to be seen, an evolution of a suburb. Empress Towers and other highrise blocks like it I find liberating in the sense that they open the opportunity for many to afford views of the vistas overlooking the river derwent or perhaps Mt Wellington to many people. I always enjoy viewing Empress Towers as it ignites past ideas of housing, but has importance today with issues surrounding urban sprawl and the need for housing and being close to services.
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Why were the other plans not fulfilled, do you think? Too expensive for ordinary families?
ReplyDeleteInteresting question, I believe it coinceided with the heritage movement and the "preservation" of the area. Whilst I acknowledge the rise of protecting buildings I can also see a downside in that development since the post war period has been lacking in an area (housing) where its very much needed.
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