Edgewater Towers


Edgewater Towers is a high-rise apartment building in the suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. Completed in 1961, it was Melbourne's first high-rise residential apartment block, and the tallest in Victoria until the completion of Domain Park Flats in 1962. The building was designed by architect Mordechai Benshemesh, who designed numerous multi-storey buildings in St Kilda and Elwood. Edgewater Towers is regarded as one of Benshemesh's most notable works. The building is tall to the architectural top, to the roof, and comprises 13 storeys.
WWW edgewatertowers.com.au

History

Edgewater Towers was the first multi-story residential high-rise project in Melbourne, developed by Bruce Small. Small, known for his leadership of Malvern Star Bicycle and his subsequent tenure as mayor of the Gold Coast, conceived the project following his retirement as chairman and managing director of Bruce Small Industries in 1958.
Marketed as "sophisticated living with beautiful views", the project included the "own your own" luxury housing model to the region. Designed between 1959 and 1960, construction began in 1960. However, the project encountered financial instability, causing work to cease after the completion of the lower floors. The development was subsequently sold for £A500,000, allowing construction to resume. Original plans for a rooftop restaurant and lounge bar were ultimately abandoned.
The building was officially opened on 4 March 1961 by Horace Petty, the Victorian Minister for Housing and Immigration, who was a prominent proponent of high-density urban development.
Edgewater Towers is included in the City of Port Phillip's Heritage Review, which identifies the building as the "first of St Kilda's residential high rise developments". The review highlights its enduring symbolic role in the character of St Kilda, noting that the structure resembles a "towering section of a stranded ocean liner" that defines the "nautical cosmopolitan zone" of the area's southern approach.
Standing 13 stories high with views across Port Phillip Bay, the building is regarded as a significant example of post-war modernism. While it experienced a period of neglect, it has since been recognized as an iconic representation of Melbourne's mid-century architectural progress.

Fire life safety

Evolving fire safety regulations for high-rise residential buildings led the Port Phillip Council to utilize Edgewater Towers as a test case for compliance in the late 1980s.
Consequently, the building underwent a series of comprehensive safety improvements between 1989 and 1995 to achieve a one-hour fire-resistance rating. These modifications included the installation of fire hose reels, smoke and heat detection systems, and emergency exit lighting. Structural changes during this period included the enclosure of the previously open western stairwell, the sealing of floor penetrations, and the closure of the internal mail chute. To improve containment and egress, glazed timber corridor doors were removed, fire-rated doors were installed, and corridor clerestory glazing was blocked. Additionally, both stairwells were modified to discharge directly to the building's exterior.
In 2002, the Port Phillip Council mandated further upgrades. Between 2005 and 2008, a fire sprinkler protection system and a fully addressable automatic fire detection and alarm system were installed. The efficacy of these systems was demonstrated in August 2013, when the sprinkler system successfully activated to contain a fire on an 11th-floor balcony, an event reported by The Age. The safety project was officially certified as complete in 2014, and an Essential Safety Measures Certificate of Final Inspection is currently displayed in the building's lobby.

Concrete remediation

As an early high-rise concrete structure situated in a marine environment, Edgewater Towers has been subject to ongoing concrete degradation. This issue primarily affected the balcony upstands, where the steel reinforcement bars lacked sufficient concrete cover to prevent corrosion. While these issues did not compromise the structural integrity of the building, the resulting concrete spalling significantly disfigured the façade.
The building underwent extensive concrete remediation and repainting in 1995. A more recent restoration project was completed in 2011 by Aurecon, followed by a full repainting of the exterior. Although the original sales brochure depicted the building in a different color scheme, Edgewater Towers has historically been maintained with a white finish.

Building interiors

Originally, the 1.8-meter-wide corridors featured glazed timber doors that separated the two-bedroom flats from the one-bedroom units. Most of these doors were removed during fire safety upgrades, though the original 12AB penthouse apartment retains them. The corridors were initially characterized by a vibrant 1960s color palette, featuring bright reds, oranges, and yellows, while the lobby was painted bright green. The corridor ends were decorated with patterned wallpaper, and the floors were covered in a black-and-white carpet with purple accents. These bold colors were eventually repainted in neutral tones after early residents expressed a preference for a more subdued aesthetic.
The corridors were designed to utilize "borrowed daylight" through clerestory windows situated in each flat. For nighttime illumination, fluorescent tube fittings were installed at right angles to the corridor—an unconventional arrangement that was maintained in 2013 when the system was updated with energy-efficient LED fittings. Additionally, each flat originally featured a decorative wrought-iron scroll screen door; these were replaced with modern security doors during the 1990s fire safety upgrades.
In its original configuration, Edgewater Towers provided two communal laundries on each floor, totaling 24 facilities. Each was equipped with an automatic washing machine, clothes dryer, sink, drying cupboard, instantaneous hot water heater, and an incinerator chute. Currently, six of these laundries remain operational, while the remaining 18 have been converted into storage for approximately 55 bicycles. Of the two original incinerator chutes, one remains in service as a garbage disposal system. The building's interior underwent a comprehensive renovation between 2010 and 2014.

Flats

The residential units at Edgewater Towers follow a standardized floor plan designated by letters A through H. A, B, G, and H are two-bedroom configurations featuring two balconies, encompassing approximately. Flats C and F are one-bedroom units with three balconies, while flats D and E are one-bedroom units with two balconies. The 12AB Penthouse was originally designed as a combination of two two-bedroom units, resulting in a three-bedroom layout with two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, a living room, and a wet bar.
At the time of its opening, sale prices for a one-bedroom ground-floor flat began at £A5,625, equivalent to in, while a two-bedroom flat on the twelfth floor cost up to £A8,830, equivalent to in. The original quarterly service charge was £A19/10/-, equivalent to in. Despite the luxury branding, it took over two years to complete the sale of all units.
The apartments were marketed as "soundproof" and featured high-speed automatic express lifts. Original promotional materials highlighted "king-size lounge rooms," "large bedrooms," and kitchens designed to maximize panoramic views.
While the architect's original ground-floor plans specified parquetry for the lounge and cork tiles for the bedrooms, these materials were never installed; instead, all units were originally fitted with grey carpet.
The units feature a floor-to-ceiling height of 2.55 meters, with ceilings treated with sound-deadening Vermiculite for acoustic insulation. Internal doorways and bathrooms incorporate clerestory glazing to utilize borrowed daylight. The original interior finishes included grey or grey-and-pink ceramic bathroom tiles and cream vinyl tiling in the kitchens.

Description

The L-shaped site area is with frontage to Marine Parade and to Spenser Street. Overall building dimensions of high.
The building originally contained 100 flats with shops, a restaurant and offices on the ground floor. Each floor contained four one bedroom and four two bedroom flats. The ground floor restaurant "The Reef" and later a milk bar with counter and café seating, until the early 80s was converted to a three bedroom flat in the mid-1980s. A Kiosk planned for the lobby was never operated as one and was converted for bike storage in the mid-1990s. The lobby is elevated to capture the bay and park views and features cantilevered roof canopies above both entrances, clerestory windows above a curved wall of Castlemaine slate, terrazzo flooring and columns of blue and pink mosaic glass tiles.
Copper mail boxes are original. Many original features of the building such as the curved privacy screen before the two public restroom doors, resident directory board, rockery planter with green plastic curtain/screen, open West stairwell, corridor clerestory glazing for borrowed daylight and mail chute were removed or closed off during fire life safety upgrades. The original very heavy swinging glass and timber entrance doors were replaced with aluminium framed glazing and automatic sliding doors in 2014.
The original architect's ground floor plan drawing notes entrance doors as 'Aluminium Frame' though they were never installed. When opened Edgewater Towers was fitted with two waste incinerators as there was no managed garbage truck collection in place at the time. The incinerators were removed in a fire life safety upgrade and are now stairwell fire exit paths direct to outside.
Facing Marine Parade, the building originally had a large illuminated fluorescent white plastic sign "Edgewater Towers" in red gothic script until it was brought down by a storm in 1988. The original rooftop lift motor rooms were fitted with louvres and these were replaced with steel framed glazing in 1986. There is parking on grade for 95 cars at the east end of the building including 12 undercover car ports; the maximum covered area allowed to maintain the required minimum of open space per flat. The original plans for the building were lost when fire gutted the St Kilda Town Hall and partial plans are stored in the State Library of Victoria.

Construction, management and title

The structure is of a cast in place reinforced concrete flat slab thick construction founded on Franki piles to a depth of approximately. The building contractor was "proud to have secured this large contract, and their whole organisation are keen to add this building to their already impressive record of achievements in multi-storey structures". The building contractor required "the importation of the most modern climbing crane in Australia currently being used on the Edgewater Towers project". The crane was a Liebherr type manufactured partly in Germany and partly in Ireland.
Edgewater Towers is strata titled. Edgewater Towers was built before the Strata Title Act and was originally stratum titled with a certificate of title to each flat. The owner was Edgewater Service Ltd. The ESL board of directors administered the building, regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Following an extraordinary general meeting in late 2019, it was resolved to convert to the more common owner corporation which completed June 2020, and Edgewater Towers is now strata titled, regulated by Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Gardens

Edgewater Towers originally had a garden open to Marine Parade which included very limited planting, extensive pebble and decorative concrete screen block walls. The gardens were reviewed and redesigned to incorporate Disability Discrimination Act 1992 access by Phil Tulk, Heritage Landscape Consultant and replanted in 2012, but none of the original 1960s plantings remain. The front patio, strip and pocket gardens are planted with indigenous species of the St Kilda area including:
Additional indigenous plantings in 2022 include: Myoporum insulare, Carpobrotus rossii, Dodonaea viscosa and Olearia lanuginosa. The Willow Myrtle 'Agonis' was planted in the 1970s by longtime resident building manager Johannes LeFerink. The 'Avenue' of deciduous trees to the south is Ulmus parvifolia 'Burnley Select' and the hedge is Raphiolepis Snow Maiden. In 2013 the car park was upgraded and planted with a grove of Ulmus parvifolia 'Burnley Select' and there is a small herb garden.

Rooftop terrace

The rooftop terrace is described as:
Edgewater Towers residents have access to rooftop terrace (building), originally marketed as "ideal for sunbathing or showing the panoramic views to your friends". The original steel rooftop balustrade was replaced with a chain-link one located on the outer perimeter in the 90's concrete remediation and installation of a rooftop building maintenance unit. The defunct building maintenance unit was removed in 2013 and a new compliant galvanized steel balustrade reinstated inboard of the perimeter in 2015. The butyl rubber waterproof roof membrane was completed in 2017. The original rooftop had access to the amazing panoramic views but no real amenity with unsightly equipment and piping exposed, possibly due to the original developer running short of money towards the end of the construction.
A modest rooftop upgrade design was granted planning permission by City Port Phillip in February 2016. The rooftop terrace was upgraded with equipment screening, fixed tables and bench seating, electric BBQ facilities and fixed shade canopy overhangs. An accessible raised concrete paver and adjustable pedestal flooring system eliminated nuisance trip hazards and protects the Butynol rubber waterproof membrane. A Building Surveyor requirement of granting the Construction Permit was to demonstrate the structural adequacy of the existing concrete roof slab. This necessitated a structural load test using a temporary swimming pool filled with a depth of water to simulate the correct structural loading and by measuring the deflection and return of the concrete slab. Following almost a decade of closure to residents, the rooftop terrace was completed in May 2018 and reopened to residents providing a fabulous communal space.
Access to the roof terrace was vastly improved from December 2023 with lift access for all abilities. Originally rooftop had only stair access and both lifts serving to level 12 with lift shaft overrun and lift machinery room above. Upgrading to modern lift technology using new Machine-Room-Less lifts plus reconfiguration of existing concrete structural frame and demolition of the old lift machinery room allowed the new West lift to rise to the rooftop. This achieves DDA compliance for all abilities with wider lift door openings and most importantly flat floor access to the terrace without nuisance steps. The new faster lifts have been lined with timber paneling matching the ground floor lobby like the original 1960's lift car interiors.

Notable residents

One Edgewater Towers' resident was cyclist and politician Hubert Opperman and Lady Mavys Opperman. Opperman had the pair of Edgewater Towers flats since 1961 and his main residence was in his electorate of Corio in Geelong until July 1967 when he became the Australian High Commissioner in Malta. Opperman retired from this overseas position in September 1972 and Edgewater Towers became his main residence. In December 1972 when Gough Whitlam led the Labour Party to victory, ending twenty three years of Conservative leadership Opperman quipped to John Menzies that he and Mavys had made their flat 'fit for retired people to sulk in when they read of Whitlam's wicked political progress'. Both lived at Edgewater Towers until 1985. Other residents include:
It is an urban myth that radio and television personality Mary Hardy committed suicide in Edgewater Towers. She lived on Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park in a smaller brick and white high rise

Heritage recognition

Edgewater Towers was honoured with a City of Port Phillip Heritage Recognition Plaque, unveiled on 23 September 2017 by councillor David Brand with a short ceremony. It reads:
Edgewater Towers has been included for its architectural, social and cultural significance. The building is significant in the architectural development of St Kilda and of Melbourne post-WW2; and also for the diverse residents, famous and otherwise, across all areas of life, who have lived there.
In 2019 City Port Phillip proposed to commence the process to amend the Port Phillip Planning Scheme. Edgewater Towers was proposed to be included in a new Heritage Overlay and the property identified as a place of individual heritage significance. Edgewater Towers is now heritage listed. Edgewater Towers amendment was gazetted on 24 December 2021.

What is significant?

It is a thirteen-story apartment block in the International Style. It is completely stripped of ornamentation and decoration, and is characterised by rectilinear forms and the use of glass with reinforced concrete surfaces painted plain white. The projecting front and side balconies provide a nod to the bayside location, particularly in trying to secure views for the apartments not located at the front.

How is it significant?

Edgewater Towers at 12 Marine Parade, St Kilda is of local historic, architectural and aesthetic significance to the City of Port Phillip.

Why is it significant?

Edgewater Towers is significant as one of the first large scale 'high rise' apartment buildings in Port Phillip and Melbourne. It introduced a new concept of luxury 'own your own' apartment living that encouraged the building of similar apartment blocks in St Kilda and South Melbourne over the following decades, and forms part of an extraordinary collection of flats in St Kilda that demonstrate the history of flat building in Melbourne during the twentieth century. It was the first high-rise apartment design by Mordechai Benshemesh and is said to have secured his reputation as a leading designer of high-density residential developments in Melbourne. Edgewater Towers is an example of the International Style as applied to multi-level residential buildings. This is demonstrated by its monumental scale, rectilinear forms, use of plain white concrete surfaces. It has aesthetic significance as a landmark building on the St Kilda foreshore.
"Edgewater Towers Regeneration" project was shortlisted and received a Commendation Award under the Heritage category in the City of Port Phillip Design & Development Awards 2020, as an example of good design, thoughtful development and contribution to the vibrancy of Port Phillip. Heritage Category Commendation Award text: "This project represents the first stages of restoration works to this St Kilda beachfront building. The Owners Corporation and the architects are commended for carefully and thoughtfully working to maintain and protect Edgewater Towers through works to communal areas of the building. The faithful restoration of the ground floor entry and foyer spaces and playful clean up and contemporary additions at roof level are important investments in celebrating the importance of this old foreshore beauty, and harbingers of the benefits that will flow with further works planned for the coming years".

In the media

An early image of Edgewater Towers together with floor plans appeared in Property writer Harry Perrot's column for the Herald Sun 5 February 1960.
Edgewater Towers features on the cover of Foundations Magazine: the journal of architecture, engineering and building, Edition No. 5 in 1960. It included a 'Special Report' on Redevelopment and Flat Construction in Melbourne with an interview with the Minister for Housing (Victoria) and an article on "Edgewater Towers" with typical and ground floor architectural plans dated 6 May 1960.
A photo of the architectural model of Edgewater Towers can be seen in The Age Newspaper 4 November 1960.
A full-page advertisement and image of Edgewater Towers by Alexandra Advertising for Nichols & Borrow Pty Ltd can be seen in The Age Newspaper, 4 November 1960.
Edgewater Towers' Architect Mordechai Benshemesh once debated the merits of multi-storey flats on radio with other prominent Architects of the time Harry Seidler and Neville Gruzman, and Dick Dusseldorp, founder of Lendlease, the transcript of which was published in Foundations Magazine the month after Edgewater Towers opened.
Edgewater Towers photographed in September 1962 by photographic artist Lyle Fowler is held by State Library Victoria.
Edgewater Towers can not be seen in Stanley Kramer's movie On the Beach (1959 film) set in 1964 Melbourne as it was not constructed when the movie was filmed in 1959.
Edgewater Towers featured in Homicide (Australian TV series) – Episode 9 'The Silent Witness'. "When an attractive young girl is murdered, it doesn't take long for Homicide detectives to identify her killer but they have a tense time gathering sufficient evidence to bring him to trial, aware that before they can complete their case he may kill again".
Edgewater Towers featured in Homicide (Australian TV series) – Episode 24 'Ladies Man'. "When con man Hal Dunstan gets over-confident, a chance encounter with a prowler in a graveyard triggers off more than he can cope with".
Edgewater Towers appears in the photos of 'St Kilda Life Savers' 1968 and 'Women's Business' 1986 by photographic artist Rennie Ellis.
The St Kilda Marina immediately South of Edgewater Towers was not constructed until 1969. Edgewater Towers appears in the photos of 'St Kilda Marina Lighting' 1969 and 'Mr Hans Tholstrup drives "Tom Thumb" into St Kilda Marina' 1971.
Hubert Opperman was interviewed by journalist Mel Pratt at his office in Edgewater Towers on 4 March 1975 for the Oral History Programme for the National Library of Australia.
Dora Irene Nolan was photographed by Maggie Diaz at Edgewater Towers in 1977.
"In the 1987 film 'A Matter of Convenience'..... Beach scenes were filmed opposite 'Edgewater Towers'.....".
Allan Zavod, pianist, composer, jazz musician and occasional conductor whose career has mainly been in America was photographed precariously on the rooftop of Edgewater Towers in 1987. Allan's mother Anne Zavod resided in Edgewater Towers from 1973 to 2021.
Edgewater Towers was "one of the dozens of images included in '45 Storeys', an exhibition of 45 Melbourne Jewish architects" in 1993.
Edgewater Towers can be seen in the 1996 music video "How to make gravy" by Paul Kelly (Australian musician).
Edgewater Towers featured in 'Abortion, Corruption and Cops: The Bertram Wainer Story'.
Edgewater Towers featured in 'Dangerous Remedy'. "Set in 1969 Melbourne, Dangerous Remedy tells the fascinating story of Dr Bertram Wainer who put his life at risk to expose police corruption in an effort to change the law on abortion".
Edgewater Towers painted by artist Garry Pumfrey is published in the book The Art Of Being Melbourne, "Edgewater Towers becomes much more than an apartment block: it looms over the beachfront like a bleached carapace, twinkling with opportunistic nesting life forms".
Edgewater Towers was invited to "Open" for public access as part of Open House Melbourne 28 July 2012, 27 July 2013, 25 July 2015, 30 July 2016, 29 July 2017, 28 July 2018, 27 July 2019 and 27 July 2024.
Edgewater Towers features in the 2012 ABC drama/comedy Outland (TV series) about a gay science-fiction fan club. One of the main characters, Max, played by Toby Truslove lives in Edgewater Towers and some scenes are filmed in his apartment.
Edgewater Towers is included in the Footpath Guide, Melbourne St Kilda 1850–1960 Architectural Walking Tour.
Edgewater Towers features in the Age newspaper article "St Kilda engineer given credit for Volkswagen".
Edgewater Towers features in the exhibition of post-war Modernist architecture in Melbourne "Excavating Modernism" along with other buildings designed by architect Mordechai Benshemesh, together with works by Ernest Fooks, Kurt Popper and Herbert Tisher. "These architects contributed to the socio-cultural landscape and Melbourne's development at the time, particularly in the south-eastern suburbs".
Edgewater Towers features in the documentary "Ganz: How I Lost My Beetle". "Josef Ganz attempts to revolutionise society by partnering with Adolph Hitler to introduce the car to everyday people. As Hitler gains power, he turned on Ganz and threatens his life, forcing him to flee".
Edgewater Towers is included in the Guide to Historic St Kilda.
Edgewater Towers is the subject of the article "Sixty years of Melbourne's iconic first apartment building". "Revolutionary for its time, architect and former local councillor David Brand suggests the starkly, white, Modernist-style Edgewater Towers could probably only have happened in the cosmopolitan context of St Kilda". "which was always different from everywhere else in Melbourne".
Edgewater Towers features in the official biography of Bruce Small from Malvern Star to Mr Gold Coast. "Bruce Small Enterprises spruiks the 'Manhattan' appeal of the new Edgewater Towers development in St Kilda".

Location

Edgewater Towers is located at 12, Marine Parade, St Kilda between Marine Parade, Brooks Beach and Spenser Street, Peanut Farm Reserve. The stone wall running the length of Brooks Beach between Marina Reserve and Brookes Jetty is of the time of the original development and features prominently in the original sales advertising from 1960/61 and can be seen in Lyle Fowler's 1962 photo. The following are extracts from the original sales brochure which described Edgewater Towers as a "Location for better living".
  • "Relaxation at your door – The beach is at your West door, the park at your East door, and the romantic views of the bay are as lovely by night as they are by day. Nearby are – Swimming, Beach, Lifesaving Club, Children's Playgrounds, Bowling Club, Sports Oval, Parks and Yachting."
  • "Entertainment within – You can enjoy outdoor living on either of your own two private patios, and a few yards away are – Palais de Danse, St Kilda, 3 min. ; Earls Court Ballroom, 4 min. ; Luna Park, Melbourne 2 min; South Pacific St Kilda Sea Baths, 4 min; Palais Picture Theatre, 3 min. ; Victory Picture Theatre, 5 min. ; St. Moritz Ice Rink, 5 min. and Health Studios".
"Shopping facilities only – Besides your Kiosk and Restaurant on the premises nearby are – Coles store, Banks, Market, Chinese and European Restaurants, Post Office and Acland Street shopping".

Bauhaus influence

It has been said:

American influence

Robin Boyd's colourful take on Australian architecture and suburban life in 1960 "The Australian Ugliness" included a concept of American influence in Australia as "Austerica". "Austerica is on no map. It is, an Austerican advertisement would say, not a place but a way of life".
1960 advertising material described Edgewater Towers as:
"Melbourne's newest exclusive American inspired home unit project presents the most imaginative design with convenience, comfort and luxury of the largest home". "Manhattan living comes to Melbourne". "everything you'd find in a luxury Manhattan building is yours only minutes from Collins Street, Melbourne"
Philip Goad writes "this white, generously glazed slab seems more akin to 1950s Miami Beach, Florida, than New York City".
Edgewater Towers developer "Bruce Small visited Miami, USA, in 1958.....he studied the great land reclamation projects in which the area abounded. His imaginative mind was seized with the parallel that existed on Queensland's own Gold Coast – Land awaiting development at the hands of a bold and enterprising builder.....Bruce Small".
In November 1960 Bruce Small sold the Edgewater Towers project during construction to Nichols and Borrow Finance and Development Corporation Ltd. of Sydney. "Bruce Small.....had recently bought the property Questa on the corner of Robe St. and the Esplanade near Earls Court....plans are being prepared for an American-type motor-hotel with 250 units estimated to cost £A600,000, equivalent to in. Bruce Small said his organisation hoped to get approval to build to 20 storeys in the case the lower floors would be used for car parking."

Taller

Edgewater Towers is taller than Kinkabool, the first high-rise development at Surfers Paradise, the forerunner of Gold Coast high-rise development. At the time Edgewater Towers was completed in 1961, the tallest residential building in Australia was Torbreck, Highgate Hill, Brisbane, 18 storey, completed 1960. Blues Point Tower, Sydney, 25 storey, completed in 1962, was then tallest residential building until 1970. The tallest building in Australia at the time was ICI House, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 20 storeys, completed in 1958 by Bates Smart McCutcheon. The AMP Building, 33 Alfred Street, Sydney, 26 stories, completed in 1962 was then tallest building until 1965.
The original Edgewater Towers sales brochure included photos of the surrounding views including "City View Overlooks Albert Park and Lake" with only the single tower of ICI House visible on the horizon. In Melbourne ICI House's tallest status was surpassed by the CRA Building, 89–101, Collins Street, 26 storey, completed 1962 by Bernard Evans (architect). Today the 'City View' is very different. List of tallest buildings in Melbourne.
The tallest building designed by Edgewater Towers' architect Mordechai Benshemesh was Nylex House, 10, Queens Road Melbourne, 20 storey including a stunning penthouse apartment completed 1971. Prior to Edgewater Towers his confirmed tallest buildings were just four storeys including next door at 11 Marine Parade, 'Bay View Marina', 41 flats, 1959. "There were several schemes for six and seven level apartment blocks in Chapel Street between Alma Road and Argyle Street, but only one, No. 16A, six storey block, was built. The designer is not known, however, one possible candidate is Mordechai Benshemesh, as he prepared plans for a similar, but unrealised scheme on an adjoining site."
Robin Boyd's Domain Park Flats at 20 storeys and Bernard Evans (architect)'s Emerald Hill Court, South Melbourne at 17 storeys for Housing Commission of Victoria, both taller than Edgewater Towers, completed in 1962. Emerald Hill Court, the "17 storey concrete tower represented the Housing Commission's first foray into high rise apartment construction. As such it marked the start of the Commission's ambitious and controversial high rise programme that transformed Melbourne's inner suburbs during the 1960s." Bernard Evans (architect) was an advocate for high-rise flats and was a member of the Melbourne Planning Committee pledging support for new high rise flats much earlier in April 1959 "The time has now come when smart city apartments must be available if Melbourne is not to remain a provincial city".
The Melbourne Building Act 1916 limited building height to and plot ratios with height limits were introduced in 1957. The Edgewater Towers' site planning requirement was minimum open space per flat and the large L-shaped site allowed Edgewater Towers to achieve, 13 storeys. Edgewater Towers' views cannot be built out by other tall buildings because there is a planning height limit of.

Beachfront development

In May 1960 it was reported that "A great deal of interest has been created in this project, because it will obviously be the forerunner of a number of similar structures in the long-overdue redevelopment of Melbourne's inner suburban beach areas." Beachfront high rise developments around Hobsons Bay when viewed from Edgewater Towers' rooftop terrace towards Port Melbourne include:
  • 21, The Esplanade, St. Kilda, "Questa Heights", 10 storey, 29 flats, 1963, Mordechai Benshemesh architect and developer Bruce Small. Bruce Small's plans "for an American-type motor-hotel with 250 units, estimated cost" £A600,000, equivalent to in, and "to build to 20 storeys, in the case the lower floors would be used for car parking" were never realised.
  • 13, The Esplanade, St. Kilda, "Bay View Heights", 10 storey, 33 flats,, 1969, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller. Constructed with high-compressive bricks without columns. Plans for an earlier 12 storey development of 35 flats at 13, The Esplanade by Roy Grounds, Frederick Romberg and Robin Boyd Architects with developer A. V. Jennings Construction Company were never realised. In March 1960 it was reported that both Edgewater Towers and the planned 12 storey "schemes will no doubt focus greater attention towards Melbourne's long neglected Bay front areas of St Kilda and South Melbourne".
  • 11, The Esplanade, St Kilda, "Esplanade Apartments", 9 storey, 85 flats, 2007, Fender Katsalidis Architects and Becton Development. "Becton initially proposed a 38-storey development, but reluctantly scaled down its plans after more than 11,000 residents objected".
  • 8–10, The Esplanade, St Kilda, "Arrandale", 15 storey, 41 flats, 1979, Sol Sapir Architect.
  • 350, Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West, "Sunset Beach Tower", 12 storey, 47 flats, 1969, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller.
  • 333, Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West, "The Plaza 333", 16 storey, 51 flats, 1970, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller. Constructed with a cast concrete core formed using steel slip formwork and pre-cast concrete facade. Concrete floor slabs were jacked up into position.
  • 325, Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West, "Breakwater Towers", 10 storey, 26 flats, 1975, Sol Sapir Architect.
  • 313, Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West, "Belle Mer", 8 storey, 21 flats, 1968, Sol Sapir Architect.
  • 225, Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park, "Hobsons Bay Tower", 17 storey, 52 flats, 1980, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller.
  • 195, Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park, "Bayside Plaza", 10 storey, 36 flats, 1970, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller.
  • 189, Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park, "Miami Towers", 10 storey, 36 flats, 1970, Sol Sapir Architect and developer Nathan Beller.
  • 85, Rouse Street, Port Melbourne, "HM@S Beach Apartments", Tower 2, 20 storey, 2001, Nonda Katsalidis Architect.
  • 95, Rouse Street, Port Melbourne, "HM@S Beach Apartments", Tower 1, 20 storey, 2001, Nonda Katsalidis Architect.
  • 107, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, Beacon Cove 1, 12 storey, 1997, 57 units, developer Mirvac.
  • 115, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, Beacon Cove 2, 12 storey, 1998, developer Mirvac.
  • 127, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, Beacon Cove 3, 14 storey, 2000, 63 units, developer Mirvac.
  • 147, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, Beacon Cove 4, 14 storey, 2000, developer Mirvac.
  • 155, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, Beacon Cove 5, 13 storey, 2005, developer Mirvac.

Building services

Following is a description of Building services engineering at Edgewater Towers.
Lifts. A long-planned upgrade of both lifts started from September 2022 with modern lift technology using new Machine-Room-Less lifts with the West lift rising to the rooftop with flat floor access to the terrace without nuisance steps from December 2023. The East lift was completed July 2024. The new lift car interiors have been lined with timber paneling matching the ground floor lobby like the original 1960's lift car interiors. The new lifts are faster, increased capacity and Disability Discrimination Act 1992 compliant for all abilities with wider lift opening doors. Lifts Specification summary: Applicable standards: AS1735.1, AS1735.12 and EN81-20; Lift Rating: ; Lift capacity: 15 Person ; Model: Schindler 3000.
Fibre Internet for high speeds by a private contractor with an optical fibre connection to each floor level and Category 6 cables taking the fibre connection to each flat.
Grade 1 water supply from Marine Parade and Spenser Street rises to rooftop tanks under mains pressure with back-up duty/standby booster pumps. Level 11 and below served by gravity via vertical piping risers to each flat. A further tank is above the East lift roof serving only level 12 by gravity. Each flat has two water isolation valves within kitchen and bathroom riser shafts. Vertical risers can be isolated at roof level. Hot water is via water heater in kitchen with flue in façade. Hot water piping to bathroom is cast within the concrete floor slab from the kitchen. In ground incoming water main and fire main are copper from Spenser Street below car park asphalt. water main from Marine Parade is copper and fire main is galvanized piping below the garden area. Water pipework within the building is copper.
Electrical substation is located at Spenser Street boundary supplying the Main Electrical room on Ground floor. Electrical Smart meters for Ground to level 3 flats are in the Main Switch Room. Electrical smart meters for flats on other levels are in Electrical cupboards on the upper levels.
Vertical waste stacks in each flat with a sewer connection to Spenser Street. Vertical stacks in the building are copper, cross-vented with smaller piping.
Mechanical exhaust ventilation from bathrooms via roof-mounted exhaust fans.. Redundant standby fans were removed and the remaining duty fans serving A & B and G & H flats were relocated into fire rated plantrooms for improved maintenance service life in 2016 to reduce noise nuisance on the accessible rooftop. Kitchen ventilation is via the façade.
Incoming gas supplies from Marine Parade run adjacent southern and northern boundary fences. Gas meters serving flats up to level 7 are mostly external adjacent boundary fences. Gas to water heater and stove is metered to each flat. Gas meters serving flats on level 8 and above are located in laundries and bike storage rooms on each upper level. Utility gas supply piping from Marine Parade site boundary to all gas meters replaced 2020.
Combined fire sprinkler/hydrant and hose reel system to AS2118.1, AS2118.6, AS2419 and BCA. Light hazard and booster pump to AS2941 and BCA. Fire detection and alarm system to AS1670.1, AS1603, AS3000 and BCA. Occupant warning system to AS1670.4 and BCA. Smoke detectors replaced 2017.
The Main Distribution Frame is at level 1 West.
Electronic security access control with colour video intercom at Marine Parade, Spenser Street and entrance lobby. Electronic security to bike room and roof. Security intercom panel at level 1 West stair landing. CCTV coverage to car park, Ground floor and roof.