Riparian Plaza, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Riparian Plaza is a 53-storey skyscraper located in the central business district of Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
. The building stands at 250 m (820.2 ft) in height to its communications spire and 200 m (656.2 ft) to its roof. It is the city's tallest building, or second tallest if measured to roof after the Aurora Tower
, not considering the currently under construction Soleil and Infinity Tower
. It is a mixed use building, with 11 car park levels from the ground up, 25 commercial levels, and 12 residential levels originally housing 50 penthouse
apartments.
On top of the tower is a 50 m (164 ft) communications
spire
. A recreation centre including a swimming pool
is located on 39th floor, between the commercial and residential sections. The carpark is accessed via a helical annexe. The tower has an open plaza
and promenade space totaling 3500 m² (37,673.7 sq ft). The upper plaza level contains the Siana Bar dining lounge.
The building was developed by Bloomberg Incorporation Limited with a construction cost of A$130 million. Bloomberg retained ownership of the 30,000m2 commercial component and sold off the residential apartments during construction. It is located 71 Eagle Street, and was the last waterfront vacant block in the Brisbane CBD
. Riparian Plaza provided the first, new, premium office space available in the Brisbane CBD for a decade. The building has a total floor area of approximately 55,000 square metres. Brisbane Square
completed in 2006, was the next major office building constructed in Brisbane.
(architect
) and Robert Bird Group
(structural engineer
). Most office spaces have river views, due to the 45-degree angle to the river of the building and the lack of columns on these mid level floors. Each penthouse has its own curvilinear, projecting terrace that faces the river. The cantilevering balconies
have a highly sculptured shape. Seidler claimed the composite stacking of sectors vertically is unique in Australia.
There were significant delays in the completion of the building. It was originally scheduled to be completed by early 2004 (giving a record construction time of 100 weeks). This date was continually pushed back. The delay led to significant criticism of the project in the local media, as well as complaints from prospective tenants of the building and withdrawal of committed tenants. The building was completed in November 2005.
In October 2007, Riparian Plaza won the top prize for commercial architecture at the annual national architecture awards. In 2008, the building won the overall winner of the Rider Levett Bucknall / Property Council of Australia Award and the Property Council of Australia Award for Mixed Use Development.
Placed in this position the building footings had to negotiate a Telstra
encasement containing the main telephone and data lines between Brisbane and Sydney and traverse an active 3m dome-shaped heritage listed stormwater line servicing a third of the Brisbane CBD. The building site is also located on the confluence of the former Wheat Creek and the Brisbane River. As a result the founding rock level is 20m below surface level and is covered by very soft
alluvial silts.
The architectural form of the main building provided no reprieve to these in-ground conditions. This required the tower to be founded on a total of 43 strategically placed, 1.5m and 1.8m diameter bored concrete piers 15m to 20m in length through the soft alluvial soils and socketed into medium and high strength rock. This solution contrasted with the two neighbouring structures whose footings are founded in high level rock. The piers were constructed using temporary liners to prevent collapse and ingress of water. Due to the corrosive nature of ground water a high performance specification for the concrete was nominated for the reinforced bored piles.
The columns in the car park and office were spaced around the perimeter of the tower on a 6.2m grid. The load carried by the columns on the eastern side of the building varied dramatically from the columns on the western side. The difference in loads is generated by the change in the geometry of the structure at level 39, where the building cuts back on the western face and continues up the eastern half of the building with the apartment floors. The apartment floors, governed by the floor to floor height, large spans and a need to restrict vibrations required a substantial depth and with the additional weight of the 5m cantilevers extending from the eastern face, are almost twice as heavy as
a typical commercial floor.
As described, the building size in plan was limited and so space on each floor plate was critical. Column sizes were placed under intense scrutiny to make sure that they were as small as possible and of identical sizes on opposite sides of the building, despite carrying almost 50% more load. The two storey plant rooms and the column eccentricities generated at levels where the curtain wall system changed as a result of building function turned the column design into a challenging task. The impact of this on the columns was two fold. To reduce the column sizes meant that higher concrete strengths were required. The reduced column size also meant that higher stresses were obtained in the concrete sections resulting in increased axial column shortening. Therefore the concrete performance criteria for the columns required limits to be placed on compressive strength and Young’s modulus characteristics.
The columns at ground were sculptured to suit the plaza/entry design and also to transition the high loads from the building over to the foundations below. Designed to be constructed as a transition using a curved surface, insitu reinforced concrete was employed to become the structural material. Intense 3D modeling was necessary to define the steel reinforcement geometry within the freeform shape.
A large panel of glass from pool fencing on level 39 crashed to Eagle Street in the early morning hours of 27 August 2009, creating a mess but no injuries.
. KPMG
’s Brisbane office occupies levels 14 to 19. John Pearce, former CEO of the nearby Collection House, paid $6.7 million for the top penthouse.
The building has attracted significant investor interest with median capital growth at 24.8% during 2007 and 27% in 2008. The building currently contains only 47 apartments, however there were 52 in the original design. Due to a flexible body corporate apartment amalgamations have been permitted and even encouraged because they enhance the exclusivity and therefore the price of the apartments.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The building stands at 250 m (820.2 ft) in height to its communications spire and 200 m (656.2 ft) to its roof. It is the city's tallest building, or second tallest if measured to roof after the Aurora Tower
Aurora Tower, Brisbane
Aurora Tower is a skyscraper in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At 207 metres height, it is Brisbane's second tallest building, and tallest building if measured to roof height, soon to be overtaken by currently under construction Soleil and Infinity. Aurora has 69 storeys comprising four floors of...
, not considering the currently under construction Soleil and Infinity Tower
Infinity Tower (Brisbane)
The Infinity Tower is a skyscraper under construction at 43 Herschel Street Brisbane, Australia. Excavation began in November 2009 after Meriton purchased the site, which was formerly a ground level carpark, for AU$25 million...
. It is a mixed use building, with 11 car park levels from the ground up, 25 commercial levels, and 12 residential levels originally housing 50 penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
apartments.
On top of the tower is a 50 m (164 ft) communications
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. A recreation centre including a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
is located on 39th floor, between the commercial and residential sections. The carpark is accessed via a helical annexe. The tower has an open plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
and promenade space totaling 3500 m² (37,673.7 sq ft). The upper plaza level contains the Siana Bar dining lounge.
The building was developed by Bloomberg Incorporation Limited with a construction cost of A$130 million. Bloomberg retained ownership of the 30,000m2 commercial component and sold off the residential apartments during construction. It is located 71 Eagle Street, and was the last waterfront vacant block in the Brisbane CBD
Brisbane central business district
The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...
. Riparian Plaza provided the first, new, premium office space available in the Brisbane CBD for a decade. The building has a total floor area of approximately 55,000 square metres. Brisbane Square
Brisbane Square
Brisbane Square is a high-rise building in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The building has 38 floors and rises to 151 metres. The building's main use is for office space, the lower floors leased to retailers, with a 350-space car park below the building...
completed in 2006, was the next major office building constructed in Brisbane.
Construction and design
Riparian Plaza was designed by Harry SeidlerHarry Seidler
Harry Seidler, AC OBE was an Austrian-born Australian architect who is considered to be one of the leading exponents of Modernism's methodology in Australia and the first architect to fully express the principles of the Bauhaus in Australia.Harry Seidler designed more than 180 buildings and he...
(architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
) and Robert Bird Group
Robert Bird Group
Robert Bird Group is an Australian-owned structural, civil and specialist engineering consultancy with offices in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates...
(structural engineer
Structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants...
). Most office spaces have river views, due to the 45-degree angle to the river of the building and the lack of columns on these mid level floors. Each penthouse has its own curvilinear, projecting terrace that faces the river. The cantilevering balconies
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
have a highly sculptured shape. Seidler claimed the composite stacking of sectors vertically is unique in Australia.
There were significant delays in the completion of the building. It was originally scheduled to be completed by early 2004 (giving a record construction time of 100 weeks). This date was continually pushed back. The delay led to significant criticism of the project in the local media, as well as complaints from prospective tenants of the building and withdrawal of committed tenants. The building was completed in November 2005.
In October 2007, Riparian Plaza won the top prize for commercial architecture at the annual national architecture awards. In 2008, the building won the overall winner of the Rider Levett Bucknall / Property Council of Australia Award and the Property Council of Australia Award for Mixed Use Development.
Structural Engineer's Statement
This site is one of the few remaining river front sites in the financial sector of the Brisbane Central Business District to be developed, due to the complexity of its geology and existing in ground services. The light and air easement restrictions imposed on the site restricted the building to a limited shape in plan that could be placed in only one location on the site.Placed in this position the building footings had to negotiate a Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
encasement containing the main telephone and data lines between Brisbane and Sydney and traverse an active 3m dome-shaped heritage listed stormwater line servicing a third of the Brisbane CBD. The building site is also located on the confluence of the former Wheat Creek and the Brisbane River. As a result the founding rock level is 20m below surface level and is covered by very soft
alluvial silts.
The architectural form of the main building provided no reprieve to these in-ground conditions. This required the tower to be founded on a total of 43 strategically placed, 1.5m and 1.8m diameter bored concrete piers 15m to 20m in length through the soft alluvial soils and socketed into medium and high strength rock. This solution contrasted with the two neighbouring structures whose footings are founded in high level rock. The piers were constructed using temporary liners to prevent collapse and ingress of water. Due to the corrosive nature of ground water a high performance specification for the concrete was nominated for the reinforced bored piles.
The columns in the car park and office were spaced around the perimeter of the tower on a 6.2m grid. The load carried by the columns on the eastern side of the building varied dramatically from the columns on the western side. The difference in loads is generated by the change in the geometry of the structure at level 39, where the building cuts back on the western face and continues up the eastern half of the building with the apartment floors. The apartment floors, governed by the floor to floor height, large spans and a need to restrict vibrations required a substantial depth and with the additional weight of the 5m cantilevers extending from the eastern face, are almost twice as heavy as
a typical commercial floor.
As described, the building size in plan was limited and so space on each floor plate was critical. Column sizes were placed under intense scrutiny to make sure that they were as small as possible and of identical sizes on opposite sides of the building, despite carrying almost 50% more load. The two storey plant rooms and the column eccentricities generated at levels where the curtain wall system changed as a result of building function turned the column design into a challenging task. The impact of this on the columns was two fold. To reduce the column sizes meant that higher concrete strengths were required. The reduced column size also meant that higher stresses were obtained in the concrete sections resulting in increased axial column shortening. Therefore the concrete performance criteria for the columns required limits to be placed on compressive strength and Young’s modulus characteristics.
The columns at ground were sculptured to suit the plaza/entry design and also to transition the high loads from the building over to the foundations below. Designed to be constructed as a transition using a curved surface, insitu reinforced concrete was employed to become the structural material. Intense 3D modeling was necessary to define the steel reinforcement geometry within the freeform shape.
Incidents
The building made headlines in 2005 when a severe storm caused two window washers to become stranded on the 30th floor. Rescue operations were successful after a pane of glass was removed to reach them.A large panel of glass from pool fencing on level 39 crashed to Eagle Street in the early morning hours of 27 August 2009, creating a mess but no injuries.
Tenants
Office tenants include broker Wilson HTM and law firm Clayton UtzClayton Utz
Clayton Utz is a leading commercial law firm in Australia. It is considered one of the Big Six commercial law firms.-Legal services:The firm provides legal services in banking and finance, capital markets and securities, competition, compliance, construction and projects, corporate / M&A,...
. KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
’s Brisbane office occupies levels 14 to 19. John Pearce, former CEO of the nearby Collection House, paid $6.7 million for the top penthouse.
The building has attracted significant investor interest with median capital growth at 24.8% during 2007 and 27% in 2008. The building currently contains only 47 apartments, however there were 52 in the original design. Due to a flexible body corporate apartment amalgamations have been permitted and even encouraged because they enhance the exclusivity and therefore the price of the apartments.
See also
- Aurora TowerAurora Tower, BrisbaneAurora Tower is a skyscraper in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At 207 metres height, it is Brisbane's second tallest building, and tallest building if measured to roof height, soon to be overtaken by currently under construction Soleil and Infinity. Aurora has 69 storeys comprising four floors of...
- Central PlazaCentral Plaza 1, BrisbaneCentral Plaza One is the third-tallest skyscraper in the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and was designed by renowned Japanese architect Kurokawa Kisho.The height of the tower is 174 m and it contains 44 floors....
- Riverside CentreRiverside Centre, BrisbaneThe Riverside Centre is a skyscraper designed by Harry Seidler and located at 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Completed in 1986, it contains 40 storeys and rises 146 m above ground...
- Waterfront PlaceWaterfront Place, BrisbaneWaterfront Place is the fifth-tallest building in Brisbane and sixth-tallest in Queensland. It is located downtown at 1 Eagle Street, beside the Brisbane River. It was constructed by renowned Queensland builder and developer F. A. Pidgeon and Son who led the projects development in a...
- List of tallest buildings in Brisbane
- List of tallest buildings in Australia