Edgewater Towers, Residential tower in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Edgewater Towers is a 13-storey, 44-metre residential tower in St Kilda, designed by Mordechai Benshemesh and completed in 1961. Its white facade has horizontal rows of windows and recessed balconies, with a stepped lower wing on the left. The rooftop carries the name and address "61-63 Lower Esplanade" in dark capitals. It originally held 100 one- and two-bedroom flats.
The building was completed in 1961 as Melbourne's first high-rise residential structure, marking a turning point in the city's housing design. The following year, Domain Park Flats surpassed this position as Victoria's tallest residential building.
The building's name comes from its position facing Port Phillip Bay. Until a storm brought it down in 1988, a large illuminated white plastic sign reading "Edgewater Towers" in red Blackletter script faced Marine Parade. Residents Hubert and Mavys Opperman lived here until 1985; he joked their flat was fit for retired people to sulk in after Whitlam's 1972 win.
Edgewater Towers faces Marine Parade at 61-63 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, with the entrance set back behind lower buildings, a street and a palm tree. The rooftop terrace is for residents only, so visitors view the white facade and the lettering near the top from the street. The front gardens were replanted in 2012 with indigenous St Kilda species and DDA access.
The rooftop terrace was marketed from the start as "ideal for sunbathing or showing the panoramic views to your friends". The original plans also included a rooftop restaurant and lounge bar, but these were abandoned when the project ran into financial trouble. The building's first illuminated sign, in red gothic script, was brought down by a storm in 1988.
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