A major new hotel tower is being proposed for the site of the historic Victory Hotel in Brisbane’s CBD, with a development application lodged for a 51 storey short term accommodation building at 127 Edward Street.
The proposal seeks approval for a 284 room hotel tower positioned behind and above the locally heritage listed Victory Hotel, which has operated on the corner of Edward and Charlotte streets since 1855.
If approved, the development would deliver a 51 storey tower reaching approximately 206.6 metres above AHD, introducing a distinctive reverse podium form that lifts the tower away from the street to preserve the visual prominence of the heritage pub and the adjacent Metro Arts building.
According to the planning material, the proposal forms part of a broader vision to expand the Victory Hotel site into a vertically integrated hospitality precinct combining heritage pub, hotel accommodation, dining, wellness and event spaces.
Project Rundown
| Development Parameter | Proposed Development |
|---|---|
| Address: | 127 Edward Street, Brisbane |
| Development Type: | Short term hotel and accommodation tower |
| Site Area: | 924m² |
| Gross Floor Area (GFA): | 15,998.5m² |
| Height: | 51 storeys / approximately 206.6 metres |
| Apartments: | 284 hotel rooms |
| Elevators: | x4 elevators |
| Communal Space: | Rooftop bar, pool deck and day spa (Level 38), gymnasium, function facilities, multiple bars and restaurant spaces |
| Retail: | Food and drink outlets integrated within podium levels |
| Car Parking: | Nil proposed |
| Bike Parking: | Nil proposed |
| Developer: | Victory Hotel Freehold Pty Ltd |
| Architect: | Bureau Proberts |
| Town Planner: | Sinclair Planning |
| Sustainability: | Rooftop Solar: None proposed Energy Efficiency: Passive design, integrated facade shading and recessed planting zones Waste Management: Centralised refuse and recycling facilities within basement service area Water Conservation: On site water tanks integrated within basement and podium levels Green Landscaping: Integrated facade planters, podium landscaping and rooftop planting Active Transport Facilities: Pedestrian focused access from Edward Street |
| Date Submitted: | December 2025 |
| Assessment Level: | Impact assessable |
| DA Application Link: | A006934633 |
The site occupies 924 square metres at the corner of Edward and Charlotte streets and is located within the Principal Centre City Centre Zone under Brisbane City Plan 2014. The Victory Hotel itself is listed as a local heritage place, while the neighbouring Metro Arts Centre is state heritage listed.
Rather than adopting a conventional podium and tower arrangement, the proposed building uses what the architect describes as a “reverse podium” strategy.
According to the Urban Design Report prepared by Bureau Proberts, the tower is lifted six storeys above the ground plane, allowing the historic pub to remain visually dominant at street level while creating breathing space around the heritage fabric.
The architect notes that this approach “prioritises the existing and neighbouring built form”, preserving light, visibility and civic presence for both the Victory Hotel and the adjoining Metro Arts building.
The tower core is positioned along the eastern boundary of the site in the area formerly occupied by the beer garden, with hospitality and mixed use spaces sleeved around the structure within the lifted podium volume.
Within this elevated podium, a sequence of publicly accessible uses is proposed, including reception areas, bars, restaurants and wellness facilities that would extend the social life of the pub vertically.
The proposed tower would comprise 51 storeys and a total gross floor area of approximately 15,998.5 square metres, with a tower site cover of 50.3 per cent.
The building would rise to a maximum height of approximately 206.58 metres above AHD to the uppermost roof projection, with the roof of the lift overrun at approximately 196.78 metres AHD.
Architecturally, Bureau Proberts has drawn heavily on the materiality and detailing of the original masonry pub building. The facade is described as a vertical filigree of brickwork using a contemporary interpretation of Flemish bond, intended to mediate between the solidity of the heritage base and the verticality of the tower above.
According to the architect, the tower’s expression aims to introduce “a craft and detailing unfamiliar to the glass and steel expression of the Brisbane CBD”, positioning the building as a contemporary extension of the pub’s long standing identity.
Recessed and projecting elements within the facade accommodate integrated planting, with greenery embedded into the building envelope to soften the tower’s mass and reinforce a subtropical character.
The proposed tower would deliver 284 short stay hotel rooms across typical tower levels, supported by a range of hospitality, wellness and event spaces distributed vertically throughout the building.
Lower podium levels would accommodate the main hotel reception and foyer, a bar, restaurant and gym facilities, with direct connectivity back into the refurbished Victory Hotel building.
A function facility and commercial kitchen are proposed at Level 23, while Level 38 would include a pool deck and day spa rooms elevated high above the city.
A rooftop bar is proposed at Level 50, with a further upper rooftop level accommodating mechanical plant and a standby generator.
According to the architect, the rooftop bar is intended to offer panoramic views across the city and river, contributing to the building’s role as a destination within the CBD hospitality landscape.
No on site car parking is proposed, with servicing accessed from Charlotte Street and provision made for MRV, SRV and van loading within a ground level service area.
The application does not propose any new works to the heritage fabric of the Victory Hotel beyond those already approved under a separate development approval granted in November 2024.
That earlier approval facilitates the refurbishment and extension of the heritage pub, including reinstatement of verandahs and rooftop bar works, with staged delivery required to enable the future tower entry portal.
The current application is impact assessable, triggered by the proposed expansion of hotel use, tower site cover exceeding 45 per cent and the inclusion of a high impact industry use for the standby generator.
Planning material argues that the proposal supports Brisbane City Council’s Edward Street Vision, enhances the city’s 24 hour economy and responds to increased demand for centrally located hotel accommodation ahead of major global events.
According to the Urban Design Report, the project seeks to “balance conservation and transformation”, leveraging the established pub culture and heritage identity of the Victory Hotel to create a vertically layered destination hotel embedded within Brisbane’s architectural history.
The development application was lodged in December 2025 and is now subject to public notification and assessment by Brisbane City Council.
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That would have to be the ugliest high rise plan i have ever seen