The new Brisbane Supreme Court and District Court building will provide a unique legal precinct, linking the new building with a major public square and the existing Brisbane Magistrates Court. The building will be one of the largest court buildings in Australia, with over 60,000 square metres of floor space spread over 19 floors.

The project involves the development of a new Supreme Court and District Court building which will be the principal courthouse for the Supreme Court and the symbolic centre of the judicial arm of the Queensland Government. This new development is a major component of the Government’s revitalisation of the western Central Business District precinct and will be one of the largest courthouses in Australia.

The Brisbane Supreme Court and District Court precinct will be located within the existing Brisbane Magistrates Court site and will facilitate a link between the Tank Street pedestrian and cycle bridge and the existing walkway link beside the Brisbane Magistrates Court bounded by George Street, Roma Street and the square.

The design was selected in an architectural competition in 2007. The architects are Architectus with Guymer Bailey (both Brisbane firms) with managing contractor Lend Lease.

The project budget is $570 million and it is directly funded by the Queensland Government.

The building floor space is approx 60,000 m2. This is almost twice the size of the existing Supreme Court and District Court buildings.

A new public square of approximately 2,500 m2 has been created between the Supreme Court and District Court and the Brisbane Magistrates Court. The square includes a grassed area, paving, trees and café.

The building has nineteen floors arranged as follows:

• Two basement floors for parking, cells, storage and plant. The basements extend under the public square.
• Ground, level 1 and level 2 for administration, registry, jury assembly and vulnerable witness.
• Floors 3 to 9 are court floors. On opening there will be thirty-nine courtrooms – Banco Court, Court of Appeal, twenty-four criminal courts and thirteen civil courts.
• Level 10 is fitted out initially with mediation rooms and State Reporting Bureau accommodation and can be converted into additional courtrooms to accommodate future expansion. This would take the total number of courtrooms to forty-five. The current court buildings have thirty two courtrooms.
• Level 12 and part of level 11 are occupied by the Supreme Court Library.
• Floors 13 to 16 are Judges’ chambers with thirty-four chambers for each court. The existing Supreme Court and District Court have a total of forty-four chambers.

Holyoake Queensland are please to add this impressive building to our portfolio of significant buildings incorporating Holyoake product.