A 14-storey commercial tower has been proposed as part of an effort to rejuvenate a heritage-listed Brisbane hotel.
Designed by Blight Rayner, the project will sit on the corner of Constance Street and St Pauls Terrace in the suburb of Fortitude Valley. The site is underpinned by the Jubilee Hotel, a cornerstone state heritage building, and with the M7 Clem Jones Tunnel.
As the application states, “The proposal determines a light and appropriate structural solution to the tunnel below as well as being considered in its urban response to both the context and its heritage.”
According to the proposal, the tower – which will accommodate 18,166 square metres of commercial office space – will be “grounded to the site by a plinth of intertwining concrete, masonry and tile that connects with glass and steel”. The podium features steel blades, frameless glass and openable louvres, defining this aspect of the building as a “breathable hub space that is light and transparent, as a counterpoint to the heavy and solid pub”. The steel façade of the tower itself will be painted in an off-white colour, and will have silver/grey glazing.
The proposal has been established around two public spaces on the ground plane, designed by Brisbane-based multi-disciplinary design studio, Lat27. These spaces will service the revitalisation of the hotel by “opening and giving clarity to it”. They will also create an entry plaza directly adjacent to St Pauls Terrace, and a beer garden to the rear of the heritage building. Overall, the public spaces would re-establish the existing hotel as a “jewel”.
In addition to the public spaces will be a rooftop garden, which will provide shaded seating and BBQ areas framed by dense vegetation.
While the development will see the demolition of some existing features (such as the north-eastern verandah), a number of original features – including the rear verandah – will be retained.
The project is targeting 6-star Green Star, 5-star NABERS and Gold WELL Building Standard. Sustainable design elements include high-performance façades, performance-optimised air-conditioning systems, water conservation features (for example, high WELS-rated fixtures and fittings, and a water sub-metering and monitoring system).
