New 40 Storey Commercial Tower Proposed for 360 Queen Street

A development application has been submitted for a new 50,000 sqm 5-Star Green Star rated 40 storey commercial tower located at 360 Queen Street within Brisbane’s ‘Golden Triangle’.

Proposed by a joint venture between Charter Hall and Investa Commercial Property Fund, the development proposes to remove four ‘tired’ and underutilised buildings of varying heights of four, seven, ten and eleven storeys high.

Project Rundown

• New 40 storey, 5-Star Green Star office tower
• An ‘open’ publicly accessible podium comprised of several landscaped terraces and vertical landscaping
• Three sky parks at different levels within the tower. These include:
  • A 266 sqm open rooftop recreation deck on level 40
  • A 615 sqm landscaped terrace to be known as ‘the town hall’ on level 28
  • A 615 sqm double-height landscaped terrace to be known as ‘the great verandah’ on level 13.
• Active ground level and podium ‘marketplace’ comprised of:
  • Food and Drink Outlets
  • Hotels (bars)
  • Indoor Sport and Recreation (gym) and/or Child Care Centre
  • Supermarket (located below ground).
• The creation of a publicly accessible pedestrian arcade connecting Queen Street to Giffin Lane and Ely Lane. This arcade will be sleeved by fine-grained active tenancies. The pedestrian movement generated by the development and the active uses at ground level will contribute to the activation of these adjoining laneways.
• A publicly accessible plaza at ground level. This includes an outdoor amphitheatre capable of accommodating public events, entertainment and an outdoor cinema.
• Four basement levels accommodating 59 car parks, end of trip-facilities, and a 1,546 sqm supermarket.
• The building design embodies the principles of the New World City Design Guide: Buildings that Breathe.

Architect Blight Rayner outlined the architectural philosophy behind the proposed design:

“Located on Queen Street the historical marketplace and financial heart of Brisbane, Queensland, the proposed development of 360 Queen Street is a beacon that is uniquely Queensland.

1. A Beacon that is an expressive addition to Brisbane’s skyline seen in 360 degrees and significantly from the post card location – The Storey bridge. 
2. A Beacon for the “new” marketplace on Queen Street through a proposed architectural expression of eroded and porous podium levels.
3. A Beacon for a new work place which consists of highly connected floors that embraces the external environment.”

“Our concept epitomises the “Buildings that Breathe” principles which range from environmental technical performance, public realm engagement to vertical gardens and elevated outdoor spaces.

The tower’s base is proposed to reimage Queen street by becoming a part of Queen Street’s fulcrum of public movement and interaction. The proposed tower complements this indoor – outdoor connectivity by the following key elements:

− Open garden levels occurring at various levels.

− A series of mixed- mode outdoor rooms through the tower levels, facilitating outdoor meetings and social interaction.

Equally important to what these elements mean is a workplace environment that is the visible in its architectural expression embodying its transparency and openness providing a vertical campus of gardens and verandahs.”

Outdoor Open Space and Landscaping

In addition to the ground level public open space, the proposed development achieves a significant amount of outdoor open space and landscaping through multiple levels of the building. These spaces include:

• Outdoor rooftop terrace
• A central zone with pocket parks and voids to encourage collaboration
• Integrated workspaces and landscaping
• Elevated terraces
• A large social breakout working space
• The Great Verandah

A Uniquely Queensland Development

• Organic in both planning and three-dimensional form
• Significant elevated green spaces
• Porous podium
• Form and spatial composition that responds to aspect and views
• Form and spatial composition that defines workplace opportunities through shaping and central void possibilities
• Side core – 100% contiguous space
• Lush subtropical sky terraces between each transfer rise
• Ability to provide pocket parks within a controlled central zone
• Architecture expressive of its function

The development will consider ways in which to use creative lighting throughout, particularly along the lower levels where the bulk of activity is. Roof lighting will also be provided, creating an iconic beacon within the city skyline. Major logo signage provision has also been included for the future anchor building tenant.

In June 2017, Charter Hall and Investa Commercial Property Fund amalgamated the site for a reported price tag of $53 million.

The final shortlist for Suncorp’s long-awaited new headquarters is a closely guarded secret, however, industry sources indicate 360 Queen Street joins Mirvac’s 80 Ann Street, Morris Property Group and Amalgamated Property Group’s 343 Albert Street and ISPT’s Regent Tower for the race to accommodate Suncorp’s new national headquarters.

The development application number for this project is A004888198.