Skytower to set record as Brisbane’s tallest residential building

BRISBANE’S skyline is about to get bigger with the $376m Skytower, which will be about 14m higher than the current record holder – the State Government’s “Tower of Power’’ at 1 William St.

BRISBANE’S skyline is about to greet another towering occupant as the Skytower reaches an extraordinary 274m.

The tallest residential building in Brisbane is expected to top out in late August, at 90 storeys.

By early next year, residents will be moving into 1141 dwellings in a luxury residential address topped by an infinity pool, and capable of housing the population of a Queensland country town.

The new Margaret St Skytower is still on its way up to 274m. Picture AAP/ Ric Frearson

The current tallest building at 1 William St will be 14m lower. Picture: Glenn Hunt

The $376 million Skytower will be about 14m higher than the current record holder – the State Government’s “Tower of Power’’ at 1 William St.

On a clear day, residents of upper floors will have views south to the Gold Coast and north to the Glass House Mountains.

Built by Hutchinson Builders with developer Billbergia, the project has gone smoothly while inner city residents have watched it progress skywards during the past 12 months.

Skytower is the latest in a half-century of skyscrapers which many say began with the SGIO Building in 1971. Now the Suncorp Plaza, it soared 131.6m and was crowned with a digital clock.

Kurt Boyd, Will Miller and Shynie Hayden of Hutchinson Builders are on a high working on Brisbane's tallest residential building, Skytower in Margaret St. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Its demolition has now been approved, ending an era just as the Skytower heralds a new one.

Skytower project manager, Lynden Watson, has been on the Margaret St site since day one.

“It’s been an extraordinary project, construction has gone exceptionally well and it’s been a great privilege just to be a part of it,’’ he said.

City Hall, with its clock tower of 95.7m, was built during the Depression in 1930, and remained the city’s tallest building for four decades.

The Westpac Building briefly claimed the title at 114.7m in 1970, before being eclipsed by Suncorp Plaza about a year later. Since then, another nine buildings have claimed the title, the most recent being 1 William St at 266.8m in 2016.

The AMP “Gold Tower” at 135m in Eagle St held the record from 1977-86. Picture: Bruce Long

Riparian Plaza eclipses the Riverside Centre which at 142m, claimed the record din 1986.

Once Skytower reaches its peak of 274m, that’s about the limit according to current regulations for aviation.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said Brisbane’s CBD skyline had the potential to accommodate buildings of a greater height, and said it was important to have a broader discussion about the opportunity to avoid missing out on economic investment and local jobs.

“With aviation safety as a clear priority, we should still be able to have areas of the city where we might be able to go to 300m to provide some flexibility in the medium-term,” he said.

“I want to ensure we protect our city’s strong aviation safety record but I think we should have a sensible conversation around flight paths and future technological changes in aviation that may create the potential for, if not all, some parts of the city to at least be able to go higher.”

The Lord Mayor said five buildings reaching the 274m limit already had been approved by the Brisbane City Council.

He said there was clear interest from industry to go higher, with 50 skyscrapers expected to be built in the CBD in the next 20 years.

The Westpac building in Queen St claimed the title at 114.7m in 1970. Picture: Suzanna Clarke.

For four decades, City Hall and its clocktower dominated the Brisbane skyline at 95.7m.

“More people are living in the Brisbane CBD than ever before and by 2031, an additional 80,000 employees will be working in the city centre,” he said.

A spokesman for the federal Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities said they had previously engaged with Brisbane City Council about increased building height proposals.

“Small adjustments to the Radar Terrain Clearance Chart for Brisbane Airport have been made, with the support of stakeholders, that ensure consistent heights across the CBD,” he said.

“However, Brisbane City Council has been unable to convince stakeholders, including Brisbane Airport Corporation, Airservices Australia and the major airlines, that further changes would not have significant impact on the safety, efficiency and regularity of air transport.”