Podium
Urban Design Guidelines for Victoria, published by The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in 2017, suggest that the word ‘podium’ refers to: ‘The lower levels of a tall building that are built up to or near the property boundary edges. The upper levels (the tower component) are set back from the lower podium building edges. The podium and tower is often arranged to achieve a relationship between the new building and existing streetscapes and urban context.’
In its widest sense, ‘podium’ refers to anything that raises something a little above its surroundings. This might include a platform that a speaker stands on to address an audience, a platform for an orchestra conductor or for awarding medals at sporting events and so on.
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