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Meriton's rising Soleil apartments giving more Brisbane people city views

With Meriton's new residential tower, Soleil, rising 234m - or 74 storeys - from Adelaide St, parts of suburban Brisbane now get a glimpse of the city for the first time.

The bus stop outside the Morningside Railway Station has a clear view of the building, as do many of the side streets running off Wynnum Rd.

It can also be spotted while travelling along parts of Newmarket and Waterworks roads and Old Cleveland Rd at Coorparoo.

Margaret Hope, 69, has enjoyed watching her new city view appear from her New Farm home. "I love it, I've watched it go up and up and up," she said.

"I was born in Goondiwindi, I'm a Queenslander, and to see Brisbane going up like this is really great.

"It's a beautiful building."

While Ritesh Tandon, 31, didn't move to Gordon Park for a city view, he said the Soleil building had become a talking point.

"(My housemate and I) walked out on the deck the other day and started talking about how now we've got views of the city," he said.

"City views are prized wherever you are, so if you can see a little of it from your deck that's an advantage.

"I think it's a good thing we can see the city from here."

While views are often a big selling point in the property industry, Real Estate Institute of Queensland managing director Dan Molloy said one building didn't really make a view.

"I am not sure that the one tower would necessarily make a difference (to the price buyers would pay for a house)," he said.

Mr Molloy said a view only appeared to add value when it was more panoramic or a vista.

But, he said with taller towers being built in the CBD - Meriton is building another 74-level building in Herschel St - there were bound to be other suburbs in the future that would capture a city glimpse.

Property analyst Michael Matusik said having views was a big selling point when it came to buying a unit off the plan.

He said more often than not that was because it was the only thing to sell and salespeople would also often spruik the view to draw a buyer's attention from poor design.

"On resale - the view becomes less important," he said.

And he said for renters it quickly lost its appeal as people got used to it.

Brisbane Courier Mail
20 August 2011