Midtown Centre architects say the tower could be the start of the `reinvention’ of many older Brisbane CBD buildings

The groundbreaking merging of two older government buildings in the Brisbane CBD into a new A-grade office tower has been dubbed the “way of the future”.

Artist's impression of Ashe Morgan and DMANN Corporation's Midtown Centre office tower in Brisbane CBND.

WITH a bit of vision … the past can become the future.

Fender Katsalidis founding partner Karl Fender believes the emergence of the Midtown Centre from the bones of two of the Brisbane CBD’s so called ugly ducklings — the former Health and Forestry House office buildings — is the “way of the future”.

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“To take buildings like this, reinvent them, repurpose them is a fantastic sustainable way of using the existing resources of the city,” he said.

Designed by Fender Katsalidis and developed by Ashe Morgan and DMANN Corporation, the unification of the old government buildings facing Mary and Charlotte streets is one of the nation’s biggest commercial building merge projects.

By linking the rears of the buildings it will create 1800sq m floorplates to form a single 26-storey A-grade office tower.

Using the Brisbane City Council’s Buildings that Breathe design guide, the tower embraces a subtropical plan and wellness features. The new and old sections featuring fully glazed facades while the facade will incorporate a double height sky garden based around a glazed atrium that acts as a division between the upper and lower portions.

It will also link Charlotte and Mary streets with a retail laneway.

Mr Fender described the project as a “fantastic opportunity”.

“We have clients with vision. They could really see the value of these two buildings being bought together and I think that takes a great deal of development courage,” he said.

“If an old building still has structural character then why not use that building. It’s sustainable approach, an affordable approach and it helps keeps costs down.”

Founding partner Karl Fender and Principal James Mills from Fender Katsalidis architects at the Midtown Centre development site. Picture Josh Woning

Built by Hutchinson Builders, the Midtown Centre, which has a net lettable area of about 44,000sq m, is scheduled to open in 2021. Mining giant Rio Tinto will be the anchor tenant.

Fender Katsalidis principal James Mills, who runs the Brisbane office, said there were other opportunities in the CBD.

“A large percentage of buildings in the CBD were built in the 1960s and ‘70s,” he said.

“That makes a significant proportion of buildings in the CBD which we can say are ripe for redevelopment, re-use, re-purposing and introducing new sustainability measures to them.”