Apartment Tower Pitched for Brisbane Olympics Hotspot

Plans for a slender 20-storey apartment tower close to the heart of Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games have been submitted to the Brisbane City Council.

Spinal Life Australia, a disability services provider that owns the 3297sq m site and commercial building, has put forward the plans for the 203-apartment tower on the site fronting 109 Logan Road at Woolloongabba. 

The tower would comprise 23 one-bedroom, 108 two-bedroom, 71 three-bedroom and 1 four-bedroom apartments across the 20 storeys of the BSPN Architecture-designed block. 

According to town planners Place Design Group, the development would “capitalise on its prominent corner location and establish an improved and attractive public realm of the immediate area”.

“The development will take advantage of Brisbane’s subtropical lifestyle, proximity to the existing Gabba stadium and accessibility to key transport networks such as the Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro lines,” the planning report said. 

“The high-rise development will encourage the use and connectivity of nearby active and public transport networks, reducing the reliance of private vehicles and promoting sustainable principles.”

▲ BSPN Architecture designed the slender 20-storey tower for the Woolloongabba site.

The development comprises a pocket park and “backyard” for residents, significant deep planting across the building, and a rooftop communal garden. The tower would also incorporate work-from-home rooms for residents’ use and retail at the base of the building. 

The tower is proposed for a site at the intersection of the two emerging growth suburbs of Woolloongabba and East Brisbane that, according to planners, is earmarked for greater density to unlock housing. 

While the tower would be within 600m of a Cross River Rail station, there are also provisions for 281 carparks across five basement levels. 

The mixed range of apartment typologies was aimed at targeting the demand for apartment options close to the centre of Brisbane, which was expected to accommodate an additional 457,000 new residents by 2046. 

Queensland minister for planning Steven Miles said the population growth was anticipated to create more demand for single-person housing. 

“More people are living alone … the number of one-person households will increase from 23 to 45 per cent in 2046,” he said. 

“To meet the needs of our growing Queensland and ensure we maintain our great lifestyle, we need more housing supply and a better mix of housing options.

“This means building more units, townhouses and terraces.”