A development application has been submitted by Tribune Properties Pty Ltd for a new 18 storey 21,032 sqm commercial tower located at 31 Duncan Street, Fortitude Valley.
Designed by Nettleton Tribe, 11 levels of leasable office space, as well as a sky terrace, is proposed to sit on top of the existing car park at 31 Duncan Street.
Modifications to the ground floor will include improved retail spaces, public arcade and lobby, as well as active travel facilities for the office tenants are also proposed.
In order to ensure that the proposed tower is as environmentally and socially responsible as possible, this proposal is committed to meeting the standards of Brisbane City Council’s ‘Buildings that Breathe’ initiative. The tower has relied on this initiative as a generative design strategy so as to ensure the proposed tower will be responsive, efficient and environmentally sustainable.
Nettleton Tribe – Development Application
According to the development application, there are no proposed changes to the existing car park except for a concept which includes screening of the facade, an awning over part of the mall to provide greater weather protection as well as visual interest and further mall-based works.
The Duncan Street activation concept works are not proposed as part of the development application. The facade concept seeks to demonstrate to Council the design outcome potential of the area, and encourage discussions about the revitalisation of the mall stemming from the proposed office tower development.
Roof Terrace
The roof terrace is designed to provide an external landscaped space away from the commercial streetscape. The terrace will feature 360-degree views, including unobstructed views of the city, Mt Gravatt, the Storey Bridge and will be used for primarily recreational functions, featuring a pool, a gym, seating and tables and a perimeter exercise track.
As one of the tallest buildings in the immediate area, the space benefits from a high degree of solar exposure and aims to provide a pleasant outdoor experience, particularly in the cold winter months.
Elevated Gardens
The roof terrace of the proposed tower features elevated gardens which offer several benefits, including absorption of rainwater, solar protection and insulation while simultaneously creating an aesthetically pleasing roofscape and mitigating the urban heat-island effect.
Elevated gardens will have an inbuilt irrigation system governed by a central control system allowing each garden be maintained as required. Maintenance will be overseen by an operator, and therefore maintenance will be undertaken according to the specific needs of each garden.
Balconies
Open-air balconies are located on the northern and southern edges of the building and aim to provide a pleasant outdoor space for the building’s occupants which is protected from the westerly sun. This means that the balconies are habitable all year-round, including Brisbane’s summer months.
The 31 Duncan Street car park building recently exchanged hands in November last year when former owner Ashe Morgan Investments, a specialised real estate investment and advisory group sold the property to Tribune Properties Pty Ltd, a local developer for $64 million.
The development application number for this project is A004826842.
Doesn’t Brisbane have enough big, glass boxes? That design does nothing good for all the charming and charismatic buildings surrounding it. Come on, at least try and build something interesting.
I agree – it is just a big rectangle built as close to all four boundaries as possible. A result of a maximum height limit perhaps?
The design is somewhat lacking in any creativity or inspiration
Agree completely with the previous comments. Why is a modern glass box being approved? Why doesn’t the design have to fit with the surrounding historic architecture. This will kill the character that is in this area. Come on Brisbane City Council – you can do better than this! The breathable building and outdoor areas are brilliant but this can be done with character.