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Australian studio Koichi Takada Architects has completed Upper House, a 33-storey high-rise building in Brisbane designed to reflect the city’s tropical setting and Aboriginal history.
The Upper House contains 188 apartments and 1,000 square meters of communal facilities, behind a sinuous wooden façade that architects Koichi Takada Architects describes as “architectural roots”.
Studio founder Koichi Takada said: “Brisbane’s lifestyle is enviable and unique, and together with The Upper House we wanted to celebrate the subtropical climate and natural landscape, which is designed to breathe.”
“High-rise lifestyles have become so alienated and disconnected—from the community, from nature, from each other,” he continued. “With The Upper House, we want to challenge this and build a new model of vertical living, one whose foundation is connection.”
At the base of the building is a five-storey podium housing parking. It is covered in artwork by local artist Judy Watson, which acknowledges the Upper House’s place on the traditional lands of the Turrbal tribe.
The backlit metal artwork, titled “Descent,” is woven with rope and water and “represents Aboriginal trails and local waterways,” Takada said.
“Now more than ever, we understand the importance of respecting and acknowledging Australia’s rich history as the birthplace of the oldest known civilization on Earth,” Takada explained.
“This prominent expression of Aboriginal history builds a foundation of respect and opens up a conversation about Australia’s globally significant past.”
From the podium upwards, the tower’s facade is embellished by three sinuous timber columns, designed to mimic the staves of Moreton Bay’s native fig trees.
The structure was created in collaboration with timber specialists Theca Australia and is made from Siberian larch.
“We always look to nature for inspiration,” Takada explains. “‘Architectural Roots’ depicts a journey [that] Its function is to stabilize and anchor the tree (or in this case, the building) to its prime location. “
Apartment balconies are offset along the “tree roots” as they climb the building’s facade, while also offering views of the city and distant mountains.
The timber system culminates in a double-height pergola at the top of the building, folding over the Upper House’s health club and resident facilities, which span two levels of the upper roof.
Its facilities, named the Upper Club, include a gym, day spa, swimming pool and yoga room, as well as a bar, lounge, dining space, workspace, cinema and wine cellar, all designed to encourage interaction among residents.
“State-of-the-art wellness retreats and social centers are gravity spaces, both of which directly address the so-called ‘connection deficit,'” said Takada.
Two raised timber ‘nests’ are placed within open pergolas for small gatherings, surrounded by extensive landscaping irrigated by collected rainwater.
“The House of Lords has outdoor areas rich in biodiversity,” Takada said. “3,544 native and tropical plants have been carefully selected to thrive in Queensland’s climate, ensuring resilient landscapes and mini-ecosystems that provide the perfect backdrop for the roof.” The environment adds to the energy.”
Upper House was designed by Sydney-based Koichi Takada Architects for developer Aria Property Group, who had previously collaborated on the design of “the world’s greenest residential tower”.
Elsewhere, the studio has created a mixed-use tower scheme in Sydney with an arched brick podium, and an apartment block in Queensland that references the shape of a pine cone.
Photography is by Mark Nealon unless otherwise noted.
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