What is the tallest building in Australia?

As of right now, the tallest tower in Australia is Q1 Tower on the Gold Coast. Completed in 2005, the tower is 322.5 metres tall with 78 floors.

Q1 Tower

Image credit: Buchan Group

Designed by Buchan Group and constructed by Sunland Constructions, Q1 Tower is not only the highest building in Australia but also in Oceania. As far as the world goes, it is ranked 88^th.

Unlike many of the world’s tallest buildings, Q1 Tower is a residential building. Until 2011, it was the world’s tallest residential skyscraper. However, it was dethroned by the 337 metre Marina Torch building in Dubai. Q1 Tower remains the tallest residential building in Australia.

According to the architects, the building, with its angular top and tall spire, was inspired by the Sydney 2000 Olympic games (particularly the Olympic torch) and the Sydney Opera House.

The tallest building in Melbourne

eureka tower
Image credit: ngv.vic.gov.au

The tallest building in Melbourne is Eureka Tower, which is located in the city’s Southbank precinct. Completed in 2006, the building is 297.3 metres high with 91 floors. Designed by Fender Katsalidis and constructed by Grocon, Eureka Tower is a residential building that also serves as an observation deck where locals and tourists alike visit to see panoramic city skyline views.

The tallest building in Brisbane

Image credit: skyscrapercenter.com

While Q1 Tower is the tallest building in Queensland, the tallest building in Brisbane is Brisbane Skytower. A new building, the skyscraper was completed in 2019. It stands at 269.6 metres high with 90 floors. Designed by Nettleton Tribe and constructed by Hutchinson Builders, Brisbane Skytower is a residential building. For this reason, a construction technique was used where the building was settled in stages to control costs and prevent thousands of people from moving in at the same time.

The tallest building in Sydney

Chifley Tower
Image credit: Wikipedia

The tallest building in Sydney is Chifley Tower. Completed in 1992 in the centre of Sydney’s financial district, the building stands at 244 metres high with 50 floors. Designed by US-based architects Travis McEwen and Kohn Pedersen Fox, and constructed by Multiplex Construction, Chifley Tower is a commercial building occupied primarily by financial institutions and law firms. The tower was named after former Australian prime minister Ben Chifley.

The tallest building in Perth

Brookfield Place
Image credit: Wikipedia

Perth’s tallest building is Brookfield Place. Completed in 2012, the building is 234.4 metres high with 45 floors. It was designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners and HASSELL, and constructed by Brookfield Multiplex. A commercial building, Brookfield Place’s primary tenant is BHP, with other tenants including PwC, Allianz, Barrick Gold, Navitas and Servcorp. The development involved the restoration of the surrounding historic Newspaper House buildings with the addition of the contemporary structure over top, resulting in a unique design and the creation of the tallest side core commercial building in the southern hemisphere.

The tallest building in Adelaide

Westpac House Image credit: Abacus Property Group

The tallest building in Adelaide is Westpac House, a 31-storey office tower that rises to 132 metres. Completed in 1988, the building was designed by Woods Bagot and constructed by Baulderstone Hornibrook. Its main tenant is Westpac, as well as HWL Ebsworth and the South Australian government.

Other notable tall buildings

They may not be the tallest in their respective cities, but these are some more of Australia’s biggest buildings:

120-Collins-St
Image credit: Jackson Architecture

120 Collins Street – Melbourne (264.9m)

101 Collins Street
Image credit: 101collins.com.au

101 Collins Street – Melbourne (260m)

1_William_Street_Brisbane
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

1 William Street – Brisbane (259.8m)

Future tallest buildings

This list article has detailed the tallest completed buildings in Australia. It is worth mentioning however that there are many tall buildings that have been proposed or are currently under construction.

For example, if completed, Southbank by Beulah Tower 1 will be the tallest building in Australia at 356.2 metres high. Currently in the proposal stage, the Melbourne residential building is part of a dual skyscraper design estimated to cost $2 billion.

Another good example is Australia 108 (or 108 tower). Also in Melbourne, this tower will be the third-tallest tower in Australia once completed. Currently under construction, this residential tower will rise to 316.7 metres with 100 floors.

The world’s tallest building

burj khalifa

The world’s tallest building is Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Burj Khalifa’s height is impressive compared to Australian buildings; it stands at 829.8 metres high with 163 floors. The mixed-use building has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world, the elevator with the longest travel distance in the world and is a major tourist attraction for Dubai.

Feature image credit: queensland.com

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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