The Archdiocese of Brisbane has unveiled ambitious plans to build an eight-storey office block next to the historic St Patrick’s Church on Morgan Street, Fortitude Valley.
With architectural design by BVN, the project is one of a number of recent proposals to build commercial buildings in close proximity to churches, including Candalepas Associates’ design for a tower above the mid-century St Peter Julian’s Catholic Church and FJMT’s cantilevered hotel above a Gothic former church building.
A development application submitted to council describes how the design has been configured to respond to the existing church while contributing to the Fortitude Valley urban fabric and public realm.
Located between the church and several two-storey ancillary office buildings, the tower will accommodate 11,550 square metres of office floor space. An activated three-level-high outdoor garden room at the ground plane will feature integrated landscaping and seating and an articulated soffit with a direct connection to the church. Urbis is landscape architect on the project.
“The proposal offers a contemporary, flexible and sustainable building designed for the 21st century, with interwoven community workplace and landscaped realms,” said BVN in a design statement.
“The building has a distinctive appearance provided through its facade types that respond to orientation and draw reference from the existing church.
“Each floor features living greenery and access to the outdoors overlooking the Church to the South-West and the Brisbane CBD beyond.”
Designed by Andrea Giovanni Stombuco and built from 1880 to 1882, St Patrick’s is a Gothic-style church that was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.
It is significant for its association with the consolidation of the Catholic church in Queensland in the last quarter of the nineteenth century as well as for its architectural style and the “monumental and finely detailed quality of the exterior.”
BVN’s design aims to preserve views to the church from James and McLachlan streets.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Brisbane told The Urban Developer the project was about securing the future of the church.
“The driving force behind this application is the need to ensure the parish can financially support its ageing St Patrick’s Church, which has been part of the community for more than 140 years,” he said.
“The parish also maintains the historic St Stephen’s Cathedral, which requires ongoing maintenance.
“Both churches have long-standing roles in their communities and we want them to be places of gathering for another 150-plus years.”
