An updated development application has been submitted by Charter Hall for a further reduced height of a commercial tower located at a 60 Queen Street.
Designed by Blight Rayner architects, the latest development application aims to enhance the appeal of floor spaces, offering a range of 1,329 – 1,378 m2 Net Leasable Area (NLA) per level. This necessitates a reduction in setback on the Queen Street frontage to 3 meters.
Compared to the previously approved Development Application (DA), the height has been decreased from 34 levels to 26 levels or 113m. This adjustment results in minimal alteration to the overall Gross Floor Area (GFA).
According to the development application, the revised design maintains the architectural character and quality of the existing approved DA, enhancing it with increased winter gardens, increased retail frontages, better activation of Burnett Lane, and floorplates of a size and configuration which Charter Hall believes will enable the project to proceed and energise the upper end of Queen Street Mall.
The podium design remains consistent with the previous approved commercial tower proposal, featuring a detailed facade of terraces and sunblades crafted from sandstone and precast concrete to harmonise with the neighboring heritage buildings. Notably, a significant enhancement includes the integration of a publicly accessible terrace garden at Level 1, extending from the Queen to George Street frontage, which hopes to enrich the site’s amenities and public engagement.
The ground floor plan prioritises maximising retail exposure along Queen Street Mall and George Street, with a small office lobby on George Street primarily facilitating escalator access to a spacious elevated lobby at Level 1, while also activating Burnett Lane through a café at the George Street corner and another retail outlet, potentially a food and beverage establishment.
The updated proposal decreases the setback to Queen Street Mall to 3.0 meters, allowing for the creation of larger office floorplates to meet the demand for tenancy space.
Project rundown
| Development Parameter | Proposed Development |
|---|---|
| Development Type: | Commercial Office Tower |
| Site Area: | 1,848m2 |
| Gross Floor Area (GFA): | 31,890m2 |
| Height: | 26 storeys / approx. 113m |
| Elevators: | 7 elevators / 1 goods lift and 4 podium shuttle lifts |
| Communal Space: | Outdoor roof terraces on level 13 and 24 |
| Retail: | x3 ground floor retail tenancies with x1 lobby cafe tenancy |
| Car Parking: | Car Parks – 21 |
| Bike Parking: | Bicycle parking – 228 |
| Developer: | Charter Hall |
| Architect: | Blight Rayner |
| Landscape Design: | Urbis |
| Town Planner: | Urbis |
| Sustainability: | All electric low emission building services used throughout. Targeting 4 Star NABERS IEQ Indoor Air Quality and 5-5 Star Green Star Building Rating. Rooftop solar PV system proposed as well as on-site rubbish, recycling and composting waste systems, water harvesting and grey water recycling for building cooling and irrigation. |
| Date Submitted: | 28/05/2024 |
The proposal aims to better activate the streetscape by replacing the inactive St George Bank frontage with high-end retailers for increased transparency and vitality. This involves removing the laneway arcade in the previous application to ensure continuous retail presence, with the podium design featuring sandstone cladding and a terrace accessible to the public.
Additionally, the remodelled George Street interface prioritises retail frontage over commercial lobby space, enhanced by the addition of a café at the George Street/Burnett Lane corner and a fritted glass awning facilitating views to the podium architecture above.
The podium of 60 Queen Street is crafted with sandstone and sandstone-colored concrete, presenting a solid form akin to heritage buildings when viewed obliquely, yet offering transparency from Queen Street Mall and George Street to enhance interaction with retail interiors.
This site has previously had two other major applications submitted on it:
The former Reject Shop on-site retail tenancy has closed its doors, along with the departure of two other ground floor retailers on George Street, while Chemist Warehouse has indicated potential relocation in the near future.
Plans
PlansDevelopment application link
Tell us what you think about this development below in the comment box. The development application for this project, available to view on Brisbane City Council’s Developmenti online platform is:
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Waste of a prime site. no long term thinking at all on what could have been an iconic landmark. pity.
Agreed. The approved height allowed for more inner city residential space. No doubt unaffordable to the average local taxpayer. But this is a missed opportunity where a landmark structure could have more architectural prominence on the North Bank skyline.
Whilst a nice looking building, for such a prime site this seems like a let down.
Don’t blame CH for pursuing the commercial scheme as this must stack better financially.
However in tough housing times, and especially in this spot – it be nice to see Council and State Gov incentivising them to push through with the residential/hotel scheme, which would provide better outcomes for this iconic spot and a landmark development for the future skyline
the first proposal is what they should build not this current is ugly
The 34-storey commercial office tower is what they should build in that space
the first proposal is what they should build not this current is ugly
81-storey building with a 4-storey podium, tower is what they should build in that space
The previously proposed residential tower scheme is what they should build not this new one the old one looks nicer
Agreed with some of the comments. The new proposal seems mediocre and run of the mill new builds.
No vision or ambition.
Certainly! Here’s a possible comment for you to leave:
What a disgraceful decision to significantly reduce the height of this building. Why is Brisbane so obsessed with these bland, boxy structures? The previous design had real architectural flair and would have been a stunning addition to the skyline. This lack of long-term vision is disappointing – we should be aiming higher (literally) when shaping the future of our city.