Queensland Minister for Public Works, Mr Robert
Schwarten,
turned the first sod on the site of the Ross Nielson
Properties’
$270 million Northbridge tower today, marking
the start of construction
of an architectural link between
the city’s commercial and cultural
precincts.
With the commercial tower to feature public art space within a pedestrian laneway that connects Turbot Street to the Queensland Government’s planned Tank Street Bridge, a major public art prize was also announced today, to source an artist to create the sculptural centrepiece for the development.
According to Northbridge developer, Ross Nielson, substantial prize money will be awarded to the creator of a fitting piece for what is set to become the landmark gateway from the city’s emerging North Quarter precinct to the new Millennium Arts Centre.
“With the Tank Street Bridge to provide a tangible as well as proximate link to the Gallery of Modern Art and the broader Southbank cultural precinct, we felt it was important that the Northbridge tower at the foot of the bridge was a work of art in itself,” Mr Nielson said.
“We wanted a building that was an ornament on all scales. That was the brief to Donovan Hill and we feel they’ve created a fitting companion to their vision for the Gallery of Modern Art. The public art space at Northbridge will help to transition pedestrians from the city’s commercial heart to the cultural centre across the river.
“Offering significant prize money for a public art piece provides an opportunity to showcase Australian artistic talent in an accessible forum.”
While details of the art competition are yet to be finalised, it is expected that submissions will be called for within the next three months and the prize awarded by September this year, with a view to installing the piece when construction of Northbridge finishes in April 2009.
Northbridge will be a 35-storey tower, delivering more than 34,500 sqm of A-grade commercial space to the CBD.
The building has a 5-star AGBR rating and has been designed to self-manage radiant light and heat with a facade that folds towards and away from the building, depending on the position of the sun.
The typical floor plates will offer large, flexible lettable areas of between 1,100 and 1,150 sqm and has parking for 165 cars, as well as bicycle storage facilities.
Mr Nielson is confident of strong rental demand, given the building’s position in the heart of the emerging North Quarter precinct – the focal point of $2 billion in government infrastructure and private development.
“Surrounded by amenities such as the Roma Street Parklands, the Queen Street Mall, Southbank, the Queensland Cultural Centre, Performing Arts Centre, the Museum, the new Gallery of Modern Art, Suncorp Stadium and the Caxton Street entertainment precinct, Northbridge will be a state-of-the-art building in what is rapidly becoming a sought-after working environment,” Mr Nielson said.
North Quarter is emerging as an integrated commercial /residential /retail and cultural precinct, quite unique for the Brisbane CBD. Some of the biggest names in Australian architecture are involved in the various developments within the precinct, including Donovan Hill, Cottee Parker, Brand & Slater, Cox Rayner and ML Design. The emerging aesthetic is a morphing of architecture and art, and the outcome will be a greater proliferation of public art in work spaces.