A development application has been submitted for an extension to The Great Southern Hotel located at 103 George Street, Brisbane City.
The new extension will involve an additional gross floor area of 1,534 sqm. The external facade at the rear of the building podium is intended to be treated with artwork by a local artist.
The development application has been submitted by GMT Hotel Brisbane Pty Ltd and designed by Argo.
Development Rundown:
The proposed development involves an extension to the existing short-term accommodation building on site. These extensions include:
- An additional 77 hotel rooms within the building podium
- A five-storey landscaped atrium comprised of mature planting and green walls at the heart of the proposed extensions
- A solar distributor on the building rooftop to provide additional natural light to the landscaped atrium
- A new ancillary restaurant for hotel guests on the podium rooftop
- A new cafe at ground level fronting George Street
- A new currency exchange at ground level fronting George Street.
Atrium
A five storey landscaped atrium will be provided at the heart of the extensions. This atrium will ensure that all of the proposed new rooms will have access to natural air and light. The atrium will also incorporate significant mature planting.
Tall and fast-growing species have been selected to ensure that this landscaping will be visible from all levels within the new extension. Additional green walls and vertical landscaping are also proposed within the atrium.
A solar distributor is also proposed on the building roof to direct additional sunlight into the atrium space.
New Retail
A new restaurant is also proposed on level five of the podium extension area. This restaurant is intended to service guests of the hotel only and will therefore be ancillary to the existing short term accommodation use.
Additionally, a cafe is proposed at ground level fronting George Street. This cafe will have a total gross floor area of 22 sqm. A currency exchange is also proposed to be provided at ground level fronting George Street. This tenancy will have a total gross floor area of 5 sqm.
Urban Mural
The proposal plans to turn the rear and side boundary walls of the development into a large flat ‘canvass’ for an urban art intervention. According to the development application, the project team plans to engage an experienced and recognised mural artist.
“Our intention is to create, in what is currently a cold and inactive plaza, a significant piece of urban art that can be viewed by the three adjacent QIC high rise office towers, from the existing plaza, the proposed adjacent mall and from further afield where visible between the three neighbouring towers.”
“The artwork is seen as an intervention in what is otherwise a grey and reasonably featureless area. We trust that the urban art will be modified and improved (or replaced) in time, as QIC develop their mall and the imprint of their proposed retail building against the rear wall of our proposed extensions at 103 George Street is better defined.”
According to the development application, the demand for short-term accommodation in this part of the CBD is likely to increase significantly upon completion of Queens Wharf. The development will contribute to the variety of short-term accommodation options available within this part of the CBD.
The development application number for this project is A004908724.
