The highly anticipated new $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development is nearing completion and is set for a staged opening in the second half of 2023.
The world-class entertainment and leisure precinct marks the most significant development in the city’s recent history and is expected to attract an estimated 1.4 million additional visitors to the city each year, supporting Queensland jobs and industry and driving positive economic outcomes for the state.
Set to change the face of Brisbane, the precinct stretches across more than 12 hectares of CBD land on the riverbank, and features a contemporary and iconic design that embraces the city’s subtropical climate and celebrates its Indigenous and European heritage.
World-class offerings
When complete, it will offer four new luxury hotels, including The Star’s own 340-room The Star Grand, contemporary business and leisure hotel Dorsett Brisbane, and Australia’s only 6-star Rosewood hotel, and a brand new state-of-the-art Event Centre. Purposely designed to cater for events of every scale, it will boast one of the largest ballrooms in the city, offering 2,000 square metres of flexible space.
Complimenting this, the precinct will also have more than 50 new food and beverage experiences, luxury retail outlets, around 1,500 residential apartments, public artwork displays, the restoration of nine heritage buildings, and much more.
Visitors can also soak up the views from the Sky Deck, which features a 250-metre rooftop runway of restaurants and bars (bookable for private functions) perched 100 metres above the Brisbane River. Nearing completion, it is set to become one of the city’s great public tourism and entertainment experiences and a must-visit attraction for Queensland.
Another highlight is Leisure Deck – an open-air oasis situated between the precinct’s four towers, delivering an impressive 12,000 square metres of mixed-use space.
Art and sustainability
Art and sustainability are at the core of the development – Queen’s Wharf is the first development in Brisbane to be awarded the coveted 6-Star Green Star Communities rating in recognition of its social, environmental, and economic sustainability designs.
It also marks one of the biggest art procurement processes undertaken by a corporate entity in Queensland, with a selection of Australia’s most innovative contemporary artists transforming the precinct into an urban canvas. An eight-metre high, eight-tonne bronze sculpture by internationally renowned artist Lindy Lee will be one of the many public art installations within the precinct.
Excellent connectivity
Following two years of construction, the Neville Bonner bridge has opened, connecting Brisbane CBD to the city’s largest cultural centre.
The 320-metre pedestrian bridge provides direct and easy access to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in the South Bank cultural precinct.
The Star Entertainment Group managing director and chief executive officer Robbie Cooke said the new bridge will advance Brisbane’s connectivity and accessibility for both locals and visitors ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“The unique and elegant design of the sweeping bridge mast, which peaks at more than 75 metres above the river – the same height as the Story Bridge, has already proven to be an iconic addition to the Brisbane skyline,” Cooke said.
“It will be a lasting connector for the city and play a significant role in the active transport route recently unveiled by the Queensland State Government as part of its Olympic infrastructure legacy.”
The Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development is being delivered by Destination Brisbane Consortium – a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group alongside its Hong Kong-based partners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium.
