A new development application has been submitted for the complete redevelopment of the former Queensland Government tenanted Forestry and Health buildings at 163 Charlotte Street.
Proposed by AM Brisbane CBD Investments Pty Ltd, the development will be known as ‘Midtown Centre’ and involves a drastic refurbishment to the existing buildings, an overhaul not seen since the State Law Building refurbishment in 1995.
The current configuration involves two separate towers joined together by three sky bridges on levels 13, 15 and 17 with a gross floor area (GFA) of 29,954 sqm. The new proposal involves joining the two towers together to form one long tower running from Charlotte to Mary Streets and include a gross floor area of 36,168 sqm, an increase of 6,214 sqm from its current form.
Six additional tower levels will be added to the tower which will bring the new building’s height from 20 levels to 26 levels. A new cross-block link will be created as well as revitalised heritage facade on Charlotte Street.
Under the proposal, the existing buildings will essentially be ‘reskinned’ with a new reflective glass facade which better responds to our subtropical climate.
Designed by architecture firm Fender Katsalidis, the proposal adheres to BCC’s Buildings that Breathe design guidelines in creating subtropical built form.
Landscape architecture firm Lat27 has created a landscape design that features internal terraces as well as a new outdoor sky garden on level 20 which is set to include sculpted wild grasses and vegetation surrounded by a boardwalk.
Walter Reid Building Facade
Built in 1883, the Walter Reid building was originally a two-story warehouse building which was expanded to three levels in 1907. In 1944 the building was completely engulfed by fire, leaving only the Charlotte Street facade. Then around 40 years later the State Government Insurance Office (SGIO) purchased the site and redeveloped it into Forestry House.
As part of the redevelopment, SGIO identified the facade as a place of significance with the National Trust of Queensland and undertook a restoration of the facade which included strengthening and repainting to the current colour scheme. The third story was demolished as it was found to be structurally unsound, with loose bricks and a lean towards Charlotte Street.
The proposal sits elegantly and comfortably behind the Walter Reid heritage facade, supporting it and providing it with a contemporary but timeless framing. The Midtown Centre will become the benchmark for refurbishing of existing commercial towers. – Development Application
The development application number for this project is A004807059.
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