Brisbane Square
Brisbane, Australia
Project 2001 – 2006
Brisbane Square is a landmark building located in a key urban position fronting the Brisbane River and North Quay, with direct links to Queen Street pedestrian mall.
The 37-storey office tower and podium of 65,000m2 accommodates Brisbane City Council’s offices and public library, with retail facilities and a public plaza, as well as commercial office space for the building owner.
Designed as an important social and cultural hub for the city, the ground plane is dedicated to the public domain. Shops, cafes and food outlets at street level open onto a public space in front of the neighbouring old Treasury building. Floating over the plaza and providing slashes of colour are four low-rise linear stick buildings housing the council library, customer service centre and other office space.
The tower sits six storeys above ground and has two distinct sections. Yellow sticks set the top ten levels apart for use by the owner, while a perforated sunscreen over the glass facade demarcates the Council offices. The sunscreen speaks to the environmental efficiency of the high performance glazed curtain wall, illustrating the council’s commitment to ESD principles and providing a distinct identity for the city offices.
Brisbane Square is an emblematic gateway to the city and a distinctive addition to the city’s skyline.
