Doubt over Ukraine mural’s future as luxury city tower approved
A high-profile Ukrainian mural featuring a young girl fighting injustice needs a safe new home after plans were approved for a high-rise in the heart of Adelaide. See plans for the 22-storey tower.
The State Planning Assessment Panel gave the tick of approval for a 22-storey tower last Thursday at 33 Angas Street, Adelaide – the site of a popular mural expressing solidarity with Ukrainians.
Lodged by SA-based developer New Dawn Developments, the mixed-use residential building would have 37 apartments and was designed by Adelaide firm Matthews Architects.
Developer and lawyer Roger Sallis owns the site’s current building, housing RSA Law and says he was now looking for a new site to move the artwork he commissioned, showing a young Ukrainian girl protecting the planet with her only weapon: a law book.
“The dragon symbolises the release from the lair of all the bad things about people – injustice, oppression, the inhumanity of the soul, the war, corruption, etc – and standing in its way is the young lady, who is the only thing that is protecting the planet,” Sallis said.
“I’ve got a place to put the dragon, and I’m trying to work out how to move the lady. I’ve spoken to the artist [Skubalisto], and he’s 200 per cent behind me. The building’s called New Dawn, and it’s about hope for the future.”
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Sallis told InDaily the new development would be a continuation of this mural theme created by its South African-based artist during a former Fringe Festival event in 2023.
“I want something for us and our city that isn’t so temporary, when one sort of looks around the world, whether it’s Africa or the Ukraine or the Middle East, and you see the extreme destruction that is going on everywhere, I want something that symbolises something else,” he said.
Sallis said the complex would be “exclusively about the quality of life of the residents”.
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This includes spacious, 200-square metre apartments, a five-star Green Star rating, turntable car stackers, a gym and wellness centre, and a French café on the ground floor, as well as communal and private rooftop terraces.
“I’ve used the classical colours, which are the white and the gold trimming, and you can’t really go wrong in terms of beauty and virtue with those two in my view, and on the inside, I’ve wanted to design something which captures light and space and quality of life,” Sallis said.
“When you get to your front door, and you’ll see this panoramic view of either the cityscape, with buildings or alternatively, the mountains and a little bit of the ocean.”
The development would require the demolition of a non-heritage building, which is currently occupied by law firm RSA Law – where Sallis is the principal – and would be located between Kodo Apartments and a local heritage building.
Sallis still needed building consent for the $75 million development, with the hope of breaking ground in January or February 2027.
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