Fender Katsalidis has merged two 1970s office buildings in the centre of Brisbane to create an amalgamated 26-storey commercial tower dubbed Midtown Centre.
Regarded as one of the more unique developments in the river city, the repurposed buildings are inherently sustainable and activate the laneway culture of the CBD. The development manages to affirm national industry focus on sustainable development and fulfil the demand for quality CBD buildings.
The practice regards the project as the most ambitious adaptive reuse project to date, with oversized contiguous floorplates totalling in 44,000 sqm of net lettable area, a vertical village and a subtropical design language.
“Australian cities are ever-evolving and architecture has always been a medium that echoes change. The design of Midtown Centre represents adaptive, sustainable commercial buildings for Brisbane’s future,” says Fender Katsalidis Director, Nicky Drobis.
“It provides tenants with unprecedented freedoms such as the ability to design and build a ‘COVID safe’ floor plan, enjoy alfresco dining opportunities, and maintain their health and wellbeing at work with 3,000sqm of outdoor space including landscaped terraces, balconies, and gardens. It rewrites the template for effective urban design.”
An activated public link between Mary and Charlotte Streets runs through the building and connects seven city blocks. A suite of food and beverage options populate the laneway, with breakout spaces for informal gatherings also integrated to align the space with the conventions of the post-pandemic workplace.
The tower was infilled as part of the design process, which achieved a 231 percent cumulative impact reduction across all environmental indicators. The facade has been replaced, with the glass frontage similar to other buildings across the skyline and resulting in superior natural light and performance.
“Existing buildings in Brisbane often can’t offer the space required to attract larger businesses so by merging the two mirrored towers, we were able to design a single building that can accommodate the expanding commercial network in Brisbane,” Drobis says.
“Midtown Centre represents the future of Brisbane’s commercial property market by modifying two older structures to create an A-grade commercial tower.”
The structure is connected by a base podium and exterior that runs from top to bottom, regarded as an alternative to the typical sky bridge join. Landscaping is utilised to mark the transition between certain locations, with a green seam that runs down the centre of the structure.
“Innovation in architecture is paramount to reaching net zero emissions and by exploring the potential of what already exists, we have been able to significantly reduce the environmental impact a new build of this size would typically create,” Drobis says.
“Midtown Centre sets a new benchmark for the repurposing of buildings. Ultimately, adaptive reuse will provide an improved resolution to a myriad of existing concerns and challenges in the built environment, if we are willing to embrace it.”
Midtown Centre has achieved a 5 Star Green Star rating, 4 and 5 stars for NABERs’ water and energy ratings and was awarded the Lord Mayor’s Brisbane Buildings That Breathe Architecture Prize, as well as being recognised at The Urban Developer Awards for Excellence in Design Innovation and Sustainability.
For more information, visit midtowncentre.com.au.
