1 William Street, also referred to as ‘Tower of Power’, is a high-rise commercial building constructed in the Brisbane central business district in Queensland, Australia. The building was developed by Cbus Property to accommodate the Queensland Public Service. It was built at a cost of $653m.
The commercial office tower accelerates the plans to redevelop the entire George Street government administrative precinct for achieving proximity to Parliament House. The 1 William Street development also cuts the government office portfolio at the central business district (CBD), and saves taxpayers approximately $60m a year.
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1 William Street is the first new government office building in the Brisbane CBD since 2004. It is the second tallest tower in Brisbane and one of the largest in Australia.
Cbus Property was selected as the developer for 1 William Street in December 2012, through a bidding process. Under the agreement, the firm was granted 99-year lease rights on the site and an assured 15-year government lease for 60,000m² of office space.
Design of the 1 William Street high-rise tower
The tower structure with slightly curved profiles integrates a splayed roof design, while the ground level is arranged into eight uniquely designed platforms. The stepped platforms spiral around a grand lobby and are surrounded by a level change of pedestrian and cycling paths.
The 259m-high 1 William Street inhabits a high-performance curtain wall system comprising an array of horizontal and vertical louvers. The external skin of the structure provides striking views, optimises energy efficiency and minimises the glare effect.
The unique central core consists of a series of stacked atriums and column-free spaces allowing daylight while offering views in 360°. The 43-level A-Grade commercial building offers a total gross floor area of 120,000m². The tower’s net leasable area is around 75,000m². The building also includes 1,169m² of retail space, 318 car parks and 600 bicycle bays.
The ground-level lobby includes a restaurant with an open kitchen. A media centre at the second level offers business and conference facilities.
1 William Street construction details
Early works began on the site in January 2013. The geotechnical and soil investigations along with various surveys have been completed on and around the site. The Newman Government broke ground on the 1 William Street site with the official sod turning in March 2013.
The bulk excavation, piling and foundation work continued throughout 2013. The basement works began in early 2014. The construction of the tower was completed in October 2016. The initial stages of the project employed more than 200 people. The project created more than 1,000 jobs each year during construction.
Sustainability features of the second tallest tower in Brisbane
The curved profiles of the structure minimise wind pressures and reduce structural costs. The building achieved green building ratings, including 5.0 Star Green Star Office Design Rating (V3) and a 5.0 Star NABERS Energy Rating.
Contractors involved with the 1 William Street project
Cbus Property engaged Sweett Group as the project manager for the 1 William Street project in April 2013. Swett Group delivered a full range of project management-related services for the developer. Woods Bagot has been selected as the project architect for 1 William Street.
