Quay Quarter Tower (QQT), located in Sydney and Dexus’s Australian headquarters, has been named a 2025 finalist for The Earthshot Prize - the world’s most prestigious and impactful environmental award. This accolade highlights QQT’s role as a global benchmark for building retrofit, showcasing innovative approaches to sustainability and adaptive reuse in the built environment.

The Earthshot Prize, founded by HRH Prince William in 2020, honours innovative solutions from diverse sectors and geographies, aiming to address the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. The 2025 edition marks the halfway point in the ‘Earthshot decade’, highlighting the urgency of delivering tangible impact as its mission accelerates.

Innovation meets sustainability

QQT is an upcycled skyscraper that has doubled its previous usable capacity and reimagined the high-rise work experience, designed as a world-first vertical village. The project demonstrates that retrofitting long-standing buildings is both commercially viable and a scalable pathway to decarbonising the built environment.

The $2.5 billion development features an integrated technology ecosystem and design intelligence throughout. The building is net zero in operation and has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Office As Built v3 rating. Rather than demolishing the original structure, the retrofit retained 65% of the existing structure and 98% of the core, avoiding more than 12,000 tonnes of embodied carbon entering the atmosphere while doubling the tower’s usable commercial space. The core of the existing 1970s building was retained, with floors extended to the north, effectively stitching the old and new together and doubling the floorplate size. This strategy reduced construction time by one year. The retrofit also introduced the world’s first example of double-deck elevators retrofitted into a Premium-Grade tower, saving more than 120 sqm of space per floor.

The tower features 89,000 sqm of net lettable area (NLA) over 49 floors and was 95% leased prior to Practical Completion to major commercial customers, including AMP, Deloitte, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, EQT, JWS, and IMC, in addition to Dexus.

An innovative removable floor system in the atria allows occupants to remove and replace sections of the 2,000 sqm floorplates, accommodating a wide range of uses as businesses grow and work practices evolve. Premium end-of-trip facilities include a state-of-the-art gym, bicycle storage, showers and well-equipped change rooms. Two floors of flexible workspace on Levels 2 and 3 within the podium provide welcoming spaces for customers.

The dramatic lobby, designed by London interior designer, Tom Dixon, features custom-designed lighting and furniture with natural finishes, including coloured marble sourced from the Pilbara in WA and Chillagoe in QLD.

QQT is managed by Dexus and owned by Dexus Wholesale Property Fund (DWPF), Mirvac Wholesale Property Fund (MWOF), and Rest. The retrofit was formulated by the co-owners in collaboration with Arup, Danish architects 3XN, Australian executive partner BVN, structural engineers BG&E and contractor Multiplex. The project team included a coalition of architects, engineers, building contractors and developers.