Atlassian Central in Sydney has reached its full structural height, marking a construction milestone for the 39-storey commercial tower that combines mass timber with steel and concrete. According to the project team, the building is now the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower, standing more than 180 metres tall.

Developed by Dexus and co-owned with Atlassian, the tower has been designed by SHoP Architects and BVN, with construction delivered by Built in a joint venture with Obayashi Corporation. The project will serve as Atlassian’s Australian headquarters.

The building uses a hybrid structural system that combines mass timber, steel and concrete. The approach reduces the amount of concrete and steel required while maintaining the structural performance needed for a high-rise commercial building. The project is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in upfront embodied carbon compared with a conventional premium office tower, along with a 50 per cent improvement in operational energy efficiency compared with a standard 5 Star NABERS base building.

The workplace has been organised around seven four-storey timber ‘habitats,’ designed to increase access to natural light, ventilation and shared spaces. Other sustainability targets include operation on renewable electricity from completion, a 6 Star Green Star rating, Platinum LEED and WELL Core certifications, and a 5.5 Star NABERS Energy Commitment.

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With the structural frame complete, work will continue on the façade and building services ahead of practical completion, which is scheduled for late 2026. The $1.45 billion project has involved approximately 10,000 cubic metres of timber, 8,000 tonnes of structural steel and 30,000 cubic metres of green concrete.

“Reaching the topping out of Atlassian Central is a truly momentous occasion,” says Andreia Teixeira, Associate Principal at SHoP. “SHoP has been privileged with the opportunity to design such an innovative project — one that we believe will redefine how people come together, collaborate and create in Sydney and beyond. We are incredibly proud of what this exceptional team has achieved, and we look forward to seeing this building take its place as a landmark of the city. It’s particularly rewarding to begin experiencing the spatial qualities of a high-rise that reimagines a natural habitat within an urban tower — connecting people to each other, nature and to the city around them. We’re excited by how this concept sets a new benchmark for sustainability, where timber, landscape and natural ventilation come together to shape a more holistic work-life experience and inspire future innovation.”

Peter Titmuss, Principal at BVN, comments: “With its structure now standing at full height above Sydney’s skyline, Atlassian Central is the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower; an innovative workplace that halves embodied carbon and embeds renewables in a way once considered impossible. Achieving this milestone has been both demanding and rewarding, only made possible through constant design innovation and collaboration across the whole project team. Hybrid mass timber has done more than reduce embodied carbon, it has fundamentally shaped how tower buildings can be delivered, enabling prefabrication, dry construction and a faster, lighter vertical build. As a prototype for mass-timber towers of the future, this is a moment of global significance.”

SHoP Architects
shoparc.com

BVN
bvn.com.au