Tallest timber tower goes up in Brisbane

Lendlease has unveiled its vision for Australia’s tallest engineered timber office, the ten-storey 5 King at the heart of the $2.9 billion Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment.

When complete, 5 King will be the world’s tallest and largest engineered timber office building by gross floor area in the world.

At a height of almost 45 metres, the building will be constructed with cross laminated timber (CLT) and glulam (glue laminated timber) which has a similar structural strength to concrete and steel.

5 King is Lendlease’s fifth engineered timber building in Australia and joins International House Sydney, Forté Apartments and Library at the Dock in Melbourne, and Jordan Springs Community Hub in Western Sydney.

Brisbane Showgrounds, just 1.6 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD, is being redeveloped over the next decade into a new precinct for more than 15,000 people.

The building, which has been purchased by Impact Investment Group (IIG), will be the future home of global engineering firm Aurecon, with the company committing to lease four of the nine office floors.

Kylie Rampa, Lendlease’s chief executive officer for property in Australia says 5 King is “the latest example of high-performance workplaces setting new benchmarks in environmentally sustainable building practices.”

Buildings made from engineered timber have a lower carbon footprint than other building materials: the production process produces zero waste, and timbers are sourced from certified sustainably-managed forests.

Aurecon’s Queensland regional director Neil Barr says the engineering firm has “long seen timber as a viable alternative to steel and concrete” and that 5 King will “showcase the strength of CLT in a ten-storey building”.

Lendlease is targeting 6 Star Green Star and 5 star NABERS Energy ratings. 

5 King is due for completion in November 2018.