Dexus’ One Bligh Street named best tall building in Australasia
Developer Dexus’ super-green Sydney development One Bligh Street has been named the best tall building in Asia and Australasia by The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
This makes it one of the seven best tall buildings in the world for 2012 according to the council, the first time an Australian building has won the award.
The building houses Australia’s tallest naturally ventilated sky-lit atrium, a feature that impressed the judges.
"The dramatic, naturally ventilated central atrium connects the office workers with nature at the inner depths of the plan, giving a sense of openness for the entire building,” says jury panel member Werner Sobek, founder of Werner Sobek Group.
The council says buildings were selected for their design and technical innovations, sustainable attributes and the enhancement of both cities and the lives of their inhabitants.
“The winners display remarkable creativity, as well as a respect for the environment, connection with place, and the urban surroundings,” says awards committee chairman Richard Cook of Cook+Fox Architects.
The building could still be named the world’s best tall building at the 11th Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Crown Hall, Chicago. From the four regional best tall building winners, one overall winner will be selected and bestowed with the “Best Tall Building Worldwide” award, to be announced on the night.
The other regional winners were the Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada; Palazzo Lombardia, Milan, Italy; and Doha Tower, Doha, Qatar.
One Bligh Street has been valued at around $629 million and has a six-star green star rating. Standout features for the building include its double-skin façade and glass atrium but it requires high rents to deliver a suitable return to its owners.
Rents are believed to be in the $900 to $1,100 per square metre range for lower floors, rising up to around $1,300 for the upper floors.
Law firm Clayton Utz is the tower’s anchor tenant, and the Commonwealth government's Ministerial and Parliamentary Services recently leased three floors. Papua New Guinean oil and gas company Oil Search also just leased two levels, and financial media group Bloomberg is tipped to be the next tenant to sign on.
