88 Robertson Street: A Mixed-Use Development Woven into Brisbane’s James Street Precinct
Diversified national property developer Goldfields has secured Development Approval for 88 Robertson Street – a $280 million, 16-storey mixed-use development in Brisbane’s vibrant James Street precinct. Goldfields’ Chief Executive Officer, Lachlan Thompson, said 88 Robertson will soon be Brisbane’s most desirable commercial office building outside the CBD. He added: “We will redefine office placemaking within Brisbane through the delivery of a holistic health and wellbeing-focussed workplace that offers the exclusive features of a premier hospitality and retail precinct within a stylish biophilic building envelope.”
88 Robertson has been conceived through careful analysis of the James Street precinct, ensuring it integrates seamlessly with the urban fabric while contributing to its evolving character. The podium and ground plane incorporate brickwork that references the surrounding precinct and New Farm’s residential streets, creating a human-scale, tactile experience often absent in commercial towers.
COX Director, Brendan Gaffney
The architectural and interior expression for 88 Robertson embraces Brisbane’s subtropical landscape, abundant light, and relaxed sophistication. 88 Robertson is designed to be both high-performing and highly desirable, achieving genuine connection to its surrounds through a unified material palette that provides a sense of comfort, warmth and tactility, with finishes that are both timeless and effortlessly enduring.
Central to the design is a double-height vaulted laneway that serves as a welcoming focal point for public engagement. This feature, alongside ground-level food and beverage offerings and a rooftop restaurant with an operable façade, fosters a lively, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. The laneway is also designed to allow a future cross-block connection to Berwick Street, enhancing pedestrian connectivity and promoting community interaction within the precinct.
The building envelope is articulated as four distinct vertical forms, with integrated planters and façade recesses mitigating the perceived scale of the tower. Winter rooms on the south-eastern corners encourage outdoor engagement and natural ventilation, connecting the office environment with the subtropical climate. Bronze-coloured sun shading fins are strategically positioned to optimise energy efficiency while maintaining visual elegance.
88 Robertson will combine 16,000 sqm of boutique commercial office space with premium end-of-trip facilities, two levels of wellness tenants, intimate winter rooms, and a rooftop restaurant and event space. Retail offerings integrated into the ground plane and a café-focused laneway connect seamlessly into Brisbane’s lifestyle-rich precinct, just a short walk from James Street, Howard Smith Wharves, and multiple transport hubs.
The Property Council of Australia (PCA) A-Grade building is designed to achieve a 5-star Green Star rating and a 5.5-star NABERS energy rating, incorporating EV charging stations that make it an amenable and sustainable workplace.
Construction is scheduled to commence in mid-2026, with practical completion expected by mid-2028 – marking an exciting new chapter for Brisbane’s expanding James Street precinct.