HLA Reveals Butterfly-Inspired Queensland Debut at Taringa

A Victorian developer has migrated north with plans for a butterfly-inspired debut in Brisbane.

HLA Group Australia has filed an application for a 19-storey apartment tower at Taringa, 6.8km south-west of Brisbane’s CBD. 

The Ellivo Architects design has been informed by the Glasswing butterfly, with four quadrants of the built form emulating its wings. 

The tower proposed for the 3139sq m Hungry Jacks site at 10 Morrow Street would be the tallest in the neighbourhood, with nearby buildings reaching 12 storeys. 

The tower would comprise 116 apartments with ground floor tenancies and two podium levels of carparking. 

According to the Human Habitats town planning report, the development would capitalise on its “strategic connectivity and prominence at the entrance of Taringa Village”. The site also abuts the Taringa train station.

▲ The proposed tower would provide residents with active travel and public transport connections, adjoining the Taringa train station, the proposal said.

Ellivo Architects described the project as an “urban oasis that blends short term accommodation with residential living”.

“Inspired by the elegance of the Glasswing butterfly, the design mirrors the graceful sweep of its wings, a form that feels light, fluid and alive,” the design statement said. 

The built form is divided into four distinct quadrants, each symmetrically mirrored to display articulation and variation. The design also includes a cascading green spine and deep recesses between the quadrants. 

The proposed development is also in line with the Brisbane City Council’s recently announced anti-sprawl agenda. 

The city flagged the planning changes in September 2025 to enable “greater flexibility” and “to make it easier to allow taller buildings to deliver more housing and mixed-use projects close to these well-located centres” at Indooroopilly, Carindale and Nundah.

▲ Separate lobbies for short-term residents and owner-occupiers are between the ground-floor tenancies.

Building heights will be reviewed across the precincts.

At Indooroopilly, towers could exceed the current 20-storey limit, while Carindale’s 10-storey cap may also be lifted. Nundah is expected to retain its 12-storey maximum but with more flexibility for mixed-use projects.

Community consultation on the planning changes is slated for 2026.

HLA Group Australia would develop a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments on the Taringa site, adding to its growing portfolio of work, which includes projects in its home state at Heidelberg, South Yarra, Camberwell and Brighton.