Spring Hill's "Oxygen" apartments

Somewhere along the line the naming of an apartment building became really important to property developers. Creating a more emotional bond for buyers, a stylish, sexy and aspirational brand and logo was seen as a link to higher prices and faster sales rates. Back in the days of brick flats the names just seemed to be a mush-up of the builder’s kids’ names. Like “Shar-Lee Court”. The spirit of Sharon and Leanne captured in perpetuity.

Then when Brisbane’s first trend to city living started to really take hold developer’s scrambled to conjure lifestyle images of Manhattan and New Yorkers (not coincidently the names of 2 late 1990’s Brisbane buildings). Spring Hill got a “Tribeca”, after a trendy New York precinct of the same name – the Triangle Below Canal Street. Not surprisingly Brisvegas also got 2 new buildings called “Soho”, named in the same way for South of the Houston River. And yes there’s a “Melrose Place” in Brisbane. The Americanisation continued.

And to defend our property developers for just a moment – can you imagine how hard it is to set up a brand that will (hopefully) live on for many years as a residential address? Worse than naming a new child!

Your author helped name “Oxygen” apartments in Spring Hill, the design’s open space and fresh air inspiring that one. I also got involved with branding South Bank’s “Galleria” but somehow ended up with buyers confusing this clue to the arts and culture precinct with a duty-free shopping mall… It’s a tricky job!

So now it’s over to you! What’s the best apartment building name you’ve seen? Maybe it’s something clever or memorable or just so bad you have to share it. And I get first go at this – “The Village of Langler Drew”. I kid you not, it’s in Toowong’s Sherwood Road. An inside joke maybe?!