Designed by Copenhagen-based 3XN and BVN, current world building of the year Quay Quarter Tower has been visited by Danish Crown Princess Mary in the wake of the tower receiving a 6 Star Green Star Rating.

Sydney’s first landmark designed by a Danish practice since the Opera House, project client AMP Capital asked for the existing fabric of the building to be retained and updated to reflect the built environment of contemporary Sydney. The design by 3XN and BVN sees 90 percent of the original building retained, while the new addition is adaptable and sustainable. 

The upcycling approach represents an embodied carbon saving of 7.3 million kilograms compared to a conventional construction project of this scale, which amounts to the same amount of carbon emissions created from 35,000 flights between Sydney and Melbourne.

Mary visited the tower as part of her Pacific Region tour, which sought to highlight the impacts of climate change. 

“We are proud to welcome Princess Mary to Quay Quarter Tower, which has set a new benchmark in Australian office,” says Dexus CEO Darren Steinberg.

“QQT’s recognition as a global leading asset demonstrates Australia’s role in pioneering new standards in sustainable building developments.

“The innovation and insights from the design and construction of QQT will be shared with projects across the world including Atlassian Central, which is part of the NSW Government’s Tech Central precinct.”

The 6 Star Green Star Office As Built v3 rating recognises the building as world leading, adding to a number of accolades including the World Building of the Year and the International High-Rise Award.

“The success of QQT is underpinned by keeping the foundations of the original building, enabling 60 percent of the core structure to be retained,” says Dexus Head of Sustainability Ramana James. 

“This has saved 12,000 metric tonnes of embodied carbon while also reducing construction time. By reusing the core of the building, we have been able to deliver a world class office tower with global leading sustainability credentials.”