After years of silence, the old Fabrication Workshop at Bulimba Barracks is set to hum with life again.
Brisbane City Council has approved plans to transform the derelict former defence building, built in 1943 as part of the city’s wartime industrial effort into a new neighbourhood hub that blends history with lifestyle.
Located within the larger 20-hectare Bulimba Barracks redevelopment, this adaptive reuse project will deliver a boutique supermarket, food and beverage venues, and public spaces designed for community events, dining and recreation.
The Fabrication Workshop, a sawtooth-roofed structure that has sat unused for decades, will anchor what’s planned to be a vibrant local precinct. Shayher Group, the developer behind the broader master plan, says the goal is to retain the building’s historical character while introducing new life and purpose.
We have ensured the historical integrity of the workshop building,” said Shayher Group Director John Lin. “It will become a community hub for local residents and visitors with a focus on a mix of retail and food and beverage to complement the existing area.”
The redevelopment marks a significant moment in the transformation of former defence land along the Brisbane River. Long fenced off and inaccessible to the public, the Barracks site has slowly begun to open up, with infrastructure works now underway across the precinct. The ultimate vision includes new housing, road networks, green space and improved river access.
What sets this next phase apart is its emphasis on placemaking — not just building infrastructure, but creating destinations. Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner positioned the project in the lineage of other recent civic-focused developments.
If delivered successfully, the precinct has the potential to serve as a model for reactivating under-utilised suburban land, striking a balance between heritage conservation and contemporary urban function.
The inclusion of an open-air plaza designed for events and pop-up retail speaks to a flexible, community-oriented approach, while the integration of green space and riverfront connections positions the project as both a public amenity and a catalyst for local identity.
No longer a site of wartime manufacturing, the Fabrication Workshop may soon play a new civic role shaping a distinct sense of place for Bulimba’s evolving urban fabric.
