A new development application has been submitted by Consolidated Properties to replace a previous 22 to 25 storey Sunland application which was designed by international architect Zaha Hadid.
Brisbane’s first Zaha designed project was subject of a lengthy legal battle by local resident Kate Peta Bell who appealed the Grace on Coronation approval and eventually won in the Queensland Supreme Court.
Developer Sunland abandoned the three-tower $500 million ‘Champagne Flute’ development and the site was sold to Consolidated Properties.
Known as ‘600 Coronation Drive’, the new Consolidated Properties proposal has been designed by John Wardle Architects and features three towers at 15 habitable storeys plus rooftop amenities.




Similar to the Zaha proposal, the project plans to re-use the 1865 heritage Middenbury House, proposing to extend it for retail opportunities which would integrate heritage values with the wider development.
“The proposed residential towers and repurposing of Middenbury House have been designed to create a unique development, providing a new identity for this site and creating a landmark designation for Brisbane.
The redevelopment of the site will create high density residential living, combined with the expansion of the cycleway through the site from the Riverwalk.
The development is representative of a modern architectural style, which celebrates and is reflective of the riverbank of the Brisbane River.”
– Wolter Consulting Group.

Development rundown
- GFA: 43,005m2
- Height: x15 storeys + rooftop deck / tallest being RL68.3m
- Apartments: Coronation Drive Tower: x25 1 bed apartments, x80 2 bed apartments, x27 3 bed apartments, x2 2 bed apartments. River Tower 1: x40 2 bed apartments, x56 3 bed apartments, x3 4 bed apartments. River Tower 2: x15 2 bed apartments, x43 3 bed apartments. x291 apartments in total.
- Lifts: x2 lifts in each tower
- Retail: The only proposed retail will be inside a proposed Middenbury House refurbishment (382.80 m²).
- Communal Space: Rooftop recreation on all three buildings featuring pools, bbq facilities, outdoor dining areas and gardens. Non-rooftop facilities include a lounge, shared work spaces and gym.
- Car Parking: x547 car spaces
- Bike Parking: x364 bike spaces
- Landscape Design: Form Landscape Architects
- Sustainability & Communal Power Generation: The development includes a provision for rooftop solar array systems which would provide power to offset common area power consumption. Over 3,000m2 of site area will be made publically accessible open space.
According to the development application, the proposed development unlocks a critical and missing link along the Bicentennial Bikeway, providing a connection from Coronation Drive, through the site to Archer Street.
In its current state, the existing site consists mainly of concrete building footings and carparks from the previous use.
Only 14% (or 1,630m2) of the Nett Site Area, (note, this is taken after assumed road dedication) is currently vegetated. Comparatively, the proposed Development Application delivers a significant improvement of open landscaped areas totalling 49% (or 5,756m2) of the total indicative Nett Site Area.
It is not yet fully understood how the Brisbane City Council’s recently unveiled Green Bridge linking Toowong to West End will impact on this development, however according to Consolidated Properties, it is anticipated that one tower will need to be resumed to make way for the new bridge proposal.

“The proposed application includes three (3) residential towers, with RS2 located on the site where the bridge landing would occur. If the bridge proceeds, it will result in a loss of one of the proposed three towers across the site, situated along the Brisbane River.
In light of this, the basement and car parking configuration, orientation and siting of the RS2 tower have been designed in consideration of possible loss of developable land in place of a bridge landing on the site. If this occurs, the publicly accessible open space offering will further expand from 3,139m2 to approximately 4,500m2.” – Wolter Consulting Group
Landscape plans
Plans
App A - Proposed PlansPart-3 (1)
Tell us what you think about this masterplan below in the comment box. The development application for this project, available to view on Brisbane City Council’s Developmenti online platform is A005881543.
2.79
/5Based on 29 rating(s)
Architectural design
Building amenities
Building greenery (Buildings that breathe)
Public realm / Street activation
Sustainability
By 27 reviewer(s)
John Mowbray
Typical of a mediocre city which may be in line with Kate Bell. Brisbane will never even get near reaching for the stars while this totally unoriginal architecture prevails. Come over to Kangaroo Pt and see the living vision of a future Brisbane. Like the majority of Australian architecture totally bland and visionless. We need a new Habib!
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Shane M Grimstone
What a disappointment, bland and dated. Surely the developer can instruct their architects to design building with style and purpose suited to the site. Hopefully BCC don’t approve this design.
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Charles Brown
Quite a few misinformed comments about the architects here.
A lot of people seem to think the architects are solely responsible for this design and have come up with it out of laziness. If people bothered to look into the projects that these (interstate) architects do, they would see that this sort of super-conservative design is atypical for them.
In this case it is obvious that the design is being directed by the developers. That said, you cannot really blame the developers either, as a conservative design is the only real way forward unless they are willing to accept the certainty of another drawn-out and highly expensive legal battle.
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Warwick PIke
An uninspiring design unlike the original which would have been a masterpiece. It’s a missed opportunity for the Brisbane waterfront. What a shame.
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Yeah Nah
the original design was way better. this one has lots of west facing units that will be uncomfortable to live in. just another 3 any-old buildings on a cracking site. would prefer higher, funkier with more open space around it. should be no direct access to Corro Drive.. that bikeway is now a major thoroughfare
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Estelle
The Zaha Hadid proposal was innovative, architecturally stunning and a piece of urban design that would have pushed Brisbane forward as a modern world city. The new proposal looks like it was created by designers too afraid of negative feedback to even think about being creative, let alone innovative. Brisbane can do better than this.
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Haldane Birch
Genuinely breaks my heart that the original diamond design was scrapped for this lump of coal. What the hell is happening to architects and city planners these days, have they become lazy and distasteful? Just as is happening in Hamilton and Newstead at the moment, midrise same-old-same-old developments are dominating all of the vital land throughout Brisbane, leaving us to start coming up with fresh ideas, like, say making the buildings a slightly darker shade of bronze! Oh gee, what could they come up with next?! Come on people, build up, I still have no clue why that green development in South Brisbane had to be made shorter for zero reason whatsoever. We need to hurry up and come up with a new city plan, before Brisbane embarrasses itself and people start leaving to live in prettier, less boring cities where the buildings aren’t all glassy off-shape rectangles stumped in growth.
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Bill Poster
These three lumps are an enormous architectural travesty providing no justice to this fantastic site. They are shameful, unimaginative and ugly They should be rejected outright by the community. The developers should hang their heads in shame, even contemplating releasing these pictures to the public. Then again, looking at their website, almost all their prior developments are appalling. Back to square one, please!
In comparison with something worthy of replacing Hadid’s inspired design, check out The Norfolk at Burleigh Heads.
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Snow Momma
How disappointing for Brisbane.
Whilst I am sure Kate Bell did not act alone, it is she who bares responsibility for this travesty. This design is absolutely NOT WORTHY of this site.
D for effort – please go back and start again from scratch.
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TP
I mean, it’s an acceptable design, not Instagram-worthy, but palatable… Never did like the cycle path through the middle. Prefer a riverwalk from Regatta to Kayes Rocks and Guyatt Park
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