A 28-storey office tower with a tapered form and steel and concrete exoskeleton would be built opposite the Fortitude Valley railway station in Brisbane, under plans submitted to the city council.
The building’s architect, local firm Bureau Proberts, states in planning documents that the form and architectural expression would provide a “striking alternative” to the surrounding commercial buildings of the CBD and the northern valley fringe.
“As a new type of office building for the precinct it contributes to the strong character of the neighbourhood,” the architects state.
251 Wickham Street by Bureau Proberts.
“It’s form reinforces the strong street pattern of the Valley and the ground floor is conceived as a semi-public space, combining architecture, landscape design and public art, to create a place that is welcoming, engaging and contributes to a vibrant, subtropical streetscape.”
To be located at 251 and 253 Wickham Street, the building would feature a three-storey podium void with a cafe tenancy, pedestrian plaza and commercial floor lobby.
On the first floor above this would be an open plan gym, swimming pool and end-of-trip facilities, while above that would be the 19 floors of office space.
The project’s proponent, local developer Cornerstone, hopes that varied floor plates will provide a range of spaces to attract diverse businesses – creative business, tech start-ups – and “strengthen the Valley’s long held, independent and culturally diverse character.”
Lat27 is the landscape architect for the project and Ivan McDonald Architects prepared the heritage report.
