Plans for 1 William Street Unveiled

4 Min Read

Plans have been unveiled for the Queensland Government’s new 1 William Street, Brisbane.

The winning $653m proposal by Cbus is for a 43 level, 258m high commercial tower with retail at ground level. At 258m high, this will become Brisbane’s second tallest proposed tower behind 222 Margaret Street.

The tower has 119,977sqm GFA. The curved roof design includes a large spire which protrudes above roof height and a internal light void similar to 1 Bligh Street, Sydney.

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This year the government announced that the Executive building as well as other aging George Street government office towers would be bulldozed and sold off. In return the government would lease office space in a new consolidated commercial tower.

Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls said the government would retain ownership of the land although the developer would gain a 99-year lease over the site.

The $650 million building would be constructed by the private sector at no cost to taxpayers and the government would then lease back office space, Mr Nicholls said.

“It won’t cost taxpayers a cent to build the building,” Mr Nicholls said, adding that the government would pay to rent the office space.

Cbus Property chief executive Adrian Pozzo said his company would put a team together to construct the building and it would include Brookfield Multiplex.

Mr Pozzo said he was delighted to be involved in the project, saying it would double the investment of Cbus’s superannuation funds in Queensland.

“The government decided to make it happen; make it happen in a short time frame. With other projects in other states, it doesn’t happen that quickly,” he said.

Mr Nicholls said the government had opted for Cbus Property because the design was modern, addressed the climate and the aspect of the river.

Construction is set for early 2013 and would be complete by 2016.

FACTS:

  • Gross floor area (GFA): 119,977 sqm
  • Net lettable area (NLA): 74,853 sqm of office space (excluding retail)
  • Retail: 1,169 sqm
  • Carparks: 318 car bays
  • Site area: 6,778 sqm
  • Area required by Government: 60,000 sqm (approximately)
  • Available for sublease by private sector: 15,000 sqm (approximately)
  • Height: 43 levels (258 metres including spire)
  • NABERS ratings
    • 5 star NABERS office energy ratin
    • 3 star NABER office water rating
  • The project will support approximately 1,000 direct jobs per year and the flow-on impacts will provide a boost to the economy
  • First new commercial office building developed for government in the Brisbane CBD since the completion of the government office building at 33 Charlotte Street in 2004
  • The total floor area of the building (GFA of 119,977 sqm) is equivalent to the playing surface of nearly 11 Suncorp Stadiums (11,152 sqm)

KEY DATES:

  • Site investigations in January 2013
  • Site establishment, enabling works and early works from January 2013
  • Excavation from July 2013
  • Structure commencement by January 2014
  • Target completion by end 2016

 

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25 Comments
  • I hope they have an observation deck. All these high skyscrapers going up and we STILL don’t have an observation deck for the public in any of them.

  • Wow!! could you have picked a worse design. The was supposed to be a iconic building for Brisbane. The Architecture is out of the 80’s. Come on people wake up to yourselves. This is why brisbane is soo far behind the other capitals.

  • It seems to be too wide, too bulky and too ‘fat’. If the developer decide to reduce the ‘fatness’ of this building to an average size (say the size of surrounding skyscrapers) then this building will be the best tower in Brisbane.

  • I think this is a great idea. The government buildings around George Street are very outdated and for once someone has taken a common sense approach in consolidating all services into one building at minimal expense to the taxpayer. Hopefully this will rejuvenate that area of the CBD

  • It’s a location that has needed development for what 20 years.

    To have retail there would mean a big change to the surrounding location too, as it is only for goverment employees, so some really “planning” needs to be done too. I would actually place a lot of food outlets as this location needs to afew more!!

  • Nice something is being done with the site but it’s still very average looking + given it’s proximity to the river you would hope some anti-flood measures are going to be implemented!

  • An ugly design that is way too big & totally unsympathetic to its surroundings – we have the opportunity to do something great on this site. What chance is there to lift the standard of city architecture when the State government builds someting as bland & out of place as this?

  • A prime development site offering the opportunity to build a landmark building that would make a statement about Brisbane and give some substance to its aspiration to be Australia’s next world city. Thanks to our current government, it is an opportunity squandered.
    This is a ‘fat’, average looking building, out of proportion with its surroundings. Its only claim to fame will be sustainability and having a hollow core.
    The designs from the last century were obviously found in some public servant’s bottom draw as he was clearing his desk before being made redundant. Maybe the Minister responsible for inflicting this type of construction on Brisbane should get a subscription to Dezeen magazine or some other affordable publication to get some inspiration or call on an architect that can give Brisbane something which future generations can be proud of.

  • An opportunity to showcase greenstar energy rating, flushed down the toilet in order to satisfy an autocratic power lusting desire to pork barrel the left wing domestic dispute between CBUS, grocon and cfmeu. ……. Without community consultation…. Fascism’s finest hour by an alledged right wing democratic government

    Why is lnp going to so much trouble to help left wing grocon to publicly list?

  • “Blacknaganga”, I perceive that grocon is left of democracy….. and smack dang in the middle of fascism….. the covert, subversive, ruling class that attempts to gratify both left and right wing political parties in the name of public listing its organisation and pork barrelin the politically connected who have invested in its organisation…. those that remain cynical of left/right wing and beleive that the voters are too dumb to get anything done with facitational/democratic decision making

    the lack of faciltational decision making & community consultation on this project is staggering. the planet is choking on carbon emissions and not a single word on considering a decentralised, power supply…. only recently has there been mention of greenstar rating???? wow, how great it could be if there were a community consultation to acquaint the community with the facts!

  • whoops , almost forgot to ask….. Aren’t there achitects, engineers and professionals assocated wih this project or just the deveopers, cbus and grocon?

  • yes I agree it could have been far better planned for greener power and sustainable water and have a far greater architechural flair and panache but no we get stuck with the 1980s fat round building ,out of place ,will cost more and I bet my last dollar that the services will still be in the basement and will get flooded!! Also by the time the final cost comes in LNP wont be there to have to worry about the cost AGAIN

  • There is a war memorial that is located within the redevelopment site and I am interested in the plan for its future location. The DUTCH/Netherlands East Indies World War Two WAR MEMORIAL is located in the forecourt of the government building located at at 80b George Street. This war memorial was opened on 4 May 2004 by The Netherlands Ambassador to Australia Dr Hans Sondaal and the Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. This forecourt also was the location of the QLD POLICE MEMORIAL, which I have been told has already been relocated elsewhere. The Dutch War Memorial probably should be relocated to Post Office Square or near the relocated Gallipoli Fountain at the Roma Street Parklands.

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