Australia's first building with high-rise public park lifts office towers to new level
Australia’s first building with an elevated built-in park and high-level green credentials to match has been lauded for changing the concept of office towers.
At 480 Queen Street in Brisbane, visitors as well as tenants can spend time in Hobbs Park, built into the the fourth level of the 33-storey building and taking in views of the Brisbane River and St John’s Cathedral.
The building, known as Campus Tower since its recent official opening, is described as “a polished jewel” by architect Brian Donovan, of BVN.
Brian Donovan at 480 Queen Street, which he says establishes a new office typology for the Brisbane CBD. Photo: Willis Lim/BVN
The public park has been named for Queensland scientist William Hobbs, who built nearby Adelaide House in 1853. The newly named Hobbs Park opens a view to the heritage-listed property that had been lost for almost 140 years.
The building, owned by DEXUS and DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund and developed and built by Grocon, would “give back” to the city, said Queensland Premier and Minister for the Arts Anastasia Palaszczuk.
“The innovation on display in this building is a real credit to all involved,” Ms Palaszczuk said at the opening ceremony.
Main tenant BHP Billiton and PwC are among the occupants of the 31-storey 480 Queen Street tower. Photo: Photo: Christopher Frederick Jones/BVN
Mr Donovan said 480 Queen Street established a new office building typology for Brisbane’s CBD and was designed as a carefully considered commercial and public realm solution.
Design elements including tuff rock, jade, aluminium and marble are a reference to the escarpment near the tower created as a result of building Adelaide Street decades ago, The Australian Financial Review reported.
“One of the design challenges was linking Queen and Adelaide Streets to give 24/7 public accessibility,” Mr Donovan said at the time.
“Everyone wanted the building to engage heavily with the public including the Brisbane City Council, DEXUS and the developers Grocon, and there was a requirement for a certain amount of square metres for the public.”
Brian Donovan with the 350-square-metre rainforest artwork that wraps around the public space at 480 Queen Street. Photo: Willis Lim/BVN
Queensland artist Danie Mellor was commissioned to create a mural for the space leading to Hobbs Park.
A rainforest on glass tiles stretches up into the vertical space and across 350 square metres as visitors ascend through the lower levels.
‘Through precision engineering, perfection in technique and unparalleled workmanship, its defining qualities combine to illuminate the character and identity of the building.’
Brian Donovan, BVN
The artwork is digitally printed on to laminated glass panels and wrapped around the interior of the two-level public space through the building that links Queen and Adelaide streets.
Danie Mellor’s rainforest artwork features her signature palette of blue and white. Photo: Willis Lim/BVN
Mellor’s work is one of the biggest commissions of its kind for a commercial building in Australia, according to Grocon.
“With Danie’s artwork we can be confident this building will be a Brisbane landmark,” Grocon CEO Carolyn Viney said.
“A big thanks to Brian Donovan for changing our concept of what an office building could be.”
Plenty of room for visitors at Australia’s first building with an elevated public park. Photo: Christopher Frederick Jones/BVN
Campus Tower is on a 4144-square-metre site and has 55,000 square metres of net leasable area.
Of this, 25,000 square metres is in the 10-storey, “campus style” low-rise office accommodation with an Adelaide Street lobby.
A four-level retail space – plus service areas – has 2000 square metres NLA and the 19-storey, tower office accommodation with a Queen Street lobby has 30,000 square metres NLA.
There is basement level car parking for 270 cars. The building has a 6-star Green Star rating target (As designed achieved) and a 5 star NABERS Energy target.
