Brisbane’s evolving commercial landscape – 205 North Quay

JANURARY 2026

In Brisbane’s evolving commercial landscape, a new tower is redefining how workplaces respond to climate, culture, and community. Challenging the convention of sealed, air-conditioned office buildings, 205 North Quay sets a new benchmark for climate-responsive design in Southeast Queensland.

Conceived as a building that breathes, it embraces the region’s subtropical conditions to enhance wellbeing, reduce environmental impact, and contribute meaningfully to the public realm.

Designed by Hassell, REX, and Richards & Spence and developed by Cbus Property, the 30-level tower draws inspiration from the traditional Queenslander home. 

Shading, planting, verandahs, terraces, and outdoor rooms are reinterpreted within a contemporary workplace typology, creating an environment that prioritises health, comfort, and social connection.

The building’s form and facade are carefully tuned to Brisbane’s harsh sun. A strategically positioned core sits along the northern edge of the tower, centred to maximise views across the Brisbane River and South Bank’s cultural district. 

This placement provides essential protection from the severe northwest sun while freeing up valuable space at retail and lobby levels. On the longer elevations, copper-coloured elliptical shading elements — using less material than conventional systems — filter light, preserve views, and significantly reduce heat gain.

These passive strategies are supported by advanced building services designed to minimise energy use, water consumption, and waste over the building’s lifecycle.

“205 North Quay asserts its commercial value not by wilful form, but by shrink-wrapping a slender, highly efficient structure in an equally efficient, state-of-the-art enclosure tailored to Brisbane’s subtropical climate,” says REX Founding Principal Joshua Ramus. 

“Both its core and shell are designed to intensify the building’s simplicity, office diversity, and ultra-transparency: the extraordinary sense of floating above the Brisbane River.”

At the heart of the building is a vertical campus model that places health, wellbeing, and community at the forefront. Interlinked three-floor communities are connected by stairs and organised into larger neighbourhoods, fostering interaction and a strong sense of belonging.

A dedicated wellness floor includes a 25-metre lap pool, gym and exercise spaces, and premium end-of-trip facilities, supporting balance between work and life.

Throughout the tower, flexible and adaptable spaces respond to evolving workplace needs, while a rooftop terrace provides opportunities for focused work, informal meetings, and social gatherings — an increasingly important consideration for employees and prospective tenants alike.

The project’s civic ambition is most clearly expressed at its base. Ingrid Richards, Director at Richards & Spence, reflects on the importance of grounding the tower within the city.

“Buildings worth keeping begin with foundations that give back to the city. At 205 North Quay, the podium forms a civic base ; a shaded plaza conceived as an outdoor room, generous in scale and responsive to Brisbane’s subtropical climate,” she says.

“Formal rigour and material endurance convey permanence and order, extending the public realm and reconciling the thresholds between street and tower, public and private, ground and sky.”