AUSTRALIA 108, MELBOURNE'S NEWEST SKYSCRAPER, TOPS OUT

       Australia 108, a supertall residential skyscraper in Melbourne, officially topped out on June 9, placing it among the city's tallest residential towers, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports. At 316.7 m tall, the 100-story tower is also one of the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere. The vertical-transportation system, installed by KONE, features 13 elevators with speeds up to 9 m/s. According to The Skyscraper Center, Australia 108 was developed by Aspial Corp. and World Class Global and designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects. Construction began in late 2015, when main contractor Multiplex began work on the foundation. More than three-quarters of the apartments in the 128,266-m2 building have been finished; residents began occupying lower floors in 2018. Work is now focused on premium units rising from level 72. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of the third quarter of 2020.