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Brisbane’s newest urban renewal masterpiece is the state's first to be named a <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/heritage-heroes-queensland/">Heritage Hero</a> by the National Trust of Australia.

Howard Smith Wharves is a culturally important precinct on the Brisbane River. Originally built in 1936, the site is a symbol for the city’s role as Queensland’s premier port. The National Trust of Australia honor acknowledges preservation efforts that reimagine historical sites so that patrons can further enjoy them and appreciate their significance. 

Recognising the fantastic opportunities for sustainable development, the precinct regeneration plan by the Brisbane studio of global practice Woods Bagot focused on creating a high-quality public realm that celebrates its history and dramatic waterfront location. The design approach has been to reinforce, amplify and reinterpret these elements in the masterplan for the 3.4 hectare historic wharf.

Woods Bagot director and project design leader, Mark Damant, said the precinct’s new buildings occupy less than 10 per cent of the site and are designed to complement the industrial language of the existing structures.

“The scheme is all about retaining views and celebrating heritage, with a generous and contemporary public realm environment knitting it all together,” said Damant.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/howard_smith_aerial.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Howard Smith Wharves. Image: Jad Sylla"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="383" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/howard_smith_aerial.jpg?itok=y0Fe-ODa" title="Howard Smith Wharves. Image: Jad Sylla" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Howard Smith Wharves. Image: Jad Sylla</figcaption></figure>The largest event space in the precinct is Howard’s Hall, also designed by Woods Bagot. It echoes the simple functionality of nearby wharf structures with a fully glazed exposed steel frame, a light, shed-like saw tooth roof and operable walls that can be manipulated for various purposes. Each material is humble and unpretentious, such as the timber decked arrival space and the rooftop terraces made from wood reclaimed from elsewhere on the site.

There are lofty ceilings to create a sense of airiness and light, retractable floor-to-ceiling windows (designed to capitalise on that prime riverfront location), and ultra-nimble, flexible space-in-spaces—including rooftop terraces and rooms of varying sizes—that allow multiple events to be hosted at once.

Retail and service pods at either end of the hall activate adjacent open spaces which themselves allow the interior event capacities to be extended.

“This will become one of the city’s most memorable spaces, set against one of its most heroic views,” said Damant. “The panorama it offers is absolutely incredible: the arches of Story Bridge, looking back at the city, across to Kangaroo Point and down the New Farm reach of the Brisbane River.”

Scott Bayne, general manager of events at Howard Smith Wharves, described Woods Bagot’s design ethos as instrumental to the space

“Woods Bagot understood, from the outset, that the space had incredible potential to be a first-class venue,” Bayne said.

<h2>Project details</h2>

<ul>
<li>Project: Howard’s Hall at Howard Smith Wharves
</li>
	<li>Location: Brisbane, Australia
</li>
	<li>Client: HSW Nominees Pty Ltd
</li>
	<li>Woods Bagot scope: Architecture / Interior Design
</li>
	<li>Status: Completed November 2018
</li>
	<li>Height: Howard’s Hall is one storey. The kitchen pod/lift lobby located at the eastern and western wing of the building is two storeys.
</li>
</ul>
Lead image: David Millar 
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Woods Bagot

Howard Smith Wharves is Queensland’s first Heritage Hero

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A new, tree-lined public park1 on Market Street connected to the development’s publicly accessible and occupiable space via a large amphitheatre are key elements in the blueprint to transform an entire city block into a highly charged urban precinct activated to its core day and night.

Construction of the interconnected 164-metre dual towers – whose footprint will occupy less than the public open space – is more than mid-way and on track for completion in late 2019.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130186_n63_shop.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130186_n63_shop.jpg?itok=AHblyEpO" width="580"></a></figure>Inspecting the progress on site last week with <a href="/architects/shop-architects">SHoP Architects</a> founding principal Bill Sharples, <a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> principal Kate Frear says the building’s ambitious program – 184 apartments, a new five-star hotel to be operated by W Hotel, 49,447 square metres of WELL-rated offices and 950 square metres of ground floor retail – has been addressed through the composition of the vertical stacking.

“We’ve optimised each floor plate and each typology to emancipate half of the site back to the city as public open space,” said Frear. “Through a huge engineering feat, we’ve unified the program which ties the whole scheme together and enables all-important sunlight to reach deeply into the site and into the building,” Frear said.

“The public space is defined by how people will move through the building, and from the top down. The building program at ground level completely informs what happens above,” she said.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130186_n59_shop.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="341" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130186_n59_shop.jpg?itok=aPFeACpc" width="580"></a></figure>Critically, there are no roofs apparent in the building, only terraces. From the open crown at the apex, the building cascades down as a series of spectacular, stepped terraces allowing for most of the building program to be habitable by humans or plants.

Frear credited the collaboration with SHoP Architects and the courage of <a href="/developers/cbus-property">Cbus Property</a> and <a href="/developers/ispt">ISPT</a> for the Collins Arch development to so successfully connect Melbourne to special opens spaces and gardens. 

SHoP Architects Bill Sharples is confident <a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">Collins Arch</a> will play a critical role in reconnecting the <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne CBD</a> to the Yarra River and <a href="/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>.

“Using the combined knowledge of what our studios have learned from work in cities around the world, we are creating the first true mixed-use building in Australia, with greatly expanded public spaces to be enjoyed by Melbourne’s residents. Collins Arch will help complete the transformation of the surrounding area into a vibrant urban community, further contributing to the city’s world-class image,” Sharples said.

Comprising a whole city block of Melbourne’s central business district, Collins Arch creates a new epicentre, linking Collins Street to a network of dynamic spaces back to the Yarra River. The project demonstrates how an under-utilised part of the city can be transformed into an internationally significant precinct that activates the central core with a 24-hour life.

“Collins Arch is a world-class project and our design collaboration with internationally regarded design teams, Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects, has enabled us to create a truly unique project for a future focused Australian city,” said Adrian Pozzo, CEO of Cbus Property.

Increasing connectivity, activating the western grid of Melbourne CBD’s and creating a globally renowned destination for one of the world’s most liveable cities were key drivers in the design process. With striking dual towers connected by a sky bridge, the form of Collins Arch will be instantly recognisable and have a significant place on Melbourne’s skyline.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130186_n56_shop_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="323" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130186_n56_shop_1.jpg?itok=YJP4rUto" width="580"></a></figure><h2>Project details</h2>

<ul>
<li>Architect: Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects 
</li>
	<li>Landscape Architect: Oculus
</li>
	<li>Engineer: 4D Workshop
</li>
	<li>Location: Melbourne, Australia
</li>
	<li>Client: Cbus Property and ISPT
</li>
	<li>Cost: AUD 1.3b
</li>
	<li>Status: Under construction 
</li>
	<li>Scope: Architecture, Interior Design
</li>
	<li>Mixed use program: Residential, hotel, commercial office, retail, public open space
</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>The new park of 1,900-square metres comprises City of Melbourne land and a portion of land contributed by Cbus Property and ISPT. Cbus Property and ISPT are contributing to the development of the park, which will be vested back to the City of Melbourne for public use and management.</li>
</ol>
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