Santos Place by Donovan Hill in Brisbane CBD, Australia

Santos Place by Donovan Hill

Santos Place exterior facade

Santos Place exterior landscape

Santos Place in Brisbane CBD, Australia

Santos Place interior design architecture

Santos Place interior lighting

Donovan Hill has designed a project of office building Santos Place in Brisbane CBD, Australia. The building consists of Ground floor, 5 podium floors, 12 low rise floors, 11 mid rise floors, 7 high rise floors plus roof level service plant space (30 tower floors total). The ground level has a conspicuously people friendly setting that signals a less corporate way of developing the city, providing multiple functions to promote activities that engage with the public realm of the street and ‘lane’. The Turbot street portico is elaborated to become a ‘miniature building’ over the footpath and serves both a functional and ‘place making’ role for the building, as well as contributing to the network of CBD “markers” and experiences. The through-site-link includes a tenancy along the northern and southern edge that can ‘spill-out’ to activate the pedestrian lane. The tenancy space also has a frontage to Turbot Street, offering the urban benefit of multiple addresses, and consequently, more street activities. Bicycle parking, boulder walls for sitting, and dangling lanterns suggest that an alternative gentleness might accompany big buildings rather than the singular splendour of massive glass and gleaming stainlessness. Perhaps making an ‘eco’ building, (in this case a 6 star ‘green star’ performer) is as much about incorporating local timber craft and stone as it is about deploying sophisticated engineering systems. In this case, above its almost domesticated ground floor, all the expected features of premium office space are available; large side loaded floor plates, monitored comfort conditions and pure views over the river to the south. Double glazing to its perimeter is shielded by purpose perforated shadowing screens on its west and east flanks. Gold anodizing and the local heritage colour palette gives the facade a characteristic glow achievable in Brisbane’s intense light, a homage to the exuberant north rather than the more subdued south. The scheme has no bold stroke, various moves accumulate.