Chicago, USA – The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) unveiled the winner of its annual award for best tall building worldwide: Quay Quarter Tower, in Sydney.
Winners were also announced in five regional categories, five height categories and a dozen other functional categories (a complete list of categories and winners appears below) at the CTBUH’s annual international conference, themed Humanizing High Density, in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
“The global construction industry confronts an emerging dilemma: should we build new structures, or should we renew existing ones to accommodate the anticipated growth in urban density?” explained CTBUH CEO Javier Quintana de Uña. “The pursued remedies can impact not only individual structures but also entire cities and the built environment in general and must take into account environmental, economic and social sustainability. Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower exemplifies the forward-looking strategies and solutions that address this density dilemma head on, significantly reducing carbon emissions and helping to mitigate the impact of climate change while meeting the needs of its occupants and the surrounding community.”
Quay Quarter Tower, designed by 3XN and owned by Dexus Wholesale Property Fund (DWPF), Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund (MWOF) and Rest Super, repositioned an existing underused building, the 1976 AMP Center, retaining a significant portion of its beams, columns and slabs, as well as over 95 percent of its existing core, an approach that resulted in an embodied carbon savings of 12,000 metric tons in structure. Additionally, a self-shading façade reduces solar radiation, minimising mechanical loads on the building, and strategically positioned atria enable natural daylight to permeate the 2,000-square-metre floor plates, improving energy efficiency in the interior. And an innovative removable floor system in the atria allows occupants to remove and replace floor sections, affording flexibility that can accommodate a wide range of uses as businesses grow and work practices evolve, extending the life cycle of the building. As a result of these carbon-reducing features and others, the building exceeds the operational performance of many newly constructed buildings and has achieved a 6-Star Green Star rating.
As the building rises, the façade gradually shifts toward the east, offering extensive harbour views that include the Sydney Opera House. This design approach ensures that the building does not cast additional shadows over the adjacent Royal Botanic Gardens or the public museum space to the south.
“We’re very pleased with the building’s overarching sensitivity and contribution to the city,” added Lim. “Being recognised by CTBUH as the best tall building worldwide affirms that we’re making a positive impact not just in Sydney and Australia but in the built environment globally."
Quay Quarter Sydney, a precinct anchoring the city’s northeastern central business district, is also leading the way in planning and placemaking innovations. The project’s heritage laneway development, Quay Quarter Lanes, was recognised with CTBUH’s Urban Habitat Award for its imaginative urban design, which enhances social sustainability and city life.
