- Commercial & Workplace
Client
Location
Architect
Builder
Value
Completion
Services
- Civil Engineering, Facade Engineering, Structural Engineering
Awards
Atlassian Central will be the tallest hybrid timber structure in the world, setting a new global benchmark for sustainable commercial design in the heart of Sydney's CBD. 
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Located in Sydney’s new Innovation and Technology Precinct, Atlassian Central is a 40-storey, approximately 180-metre mixed-use tower co-owned by Atlassian and Dexus. Designed by BVN and SHoP Architects and delivered by Built, the $500M development includes 40,000m2 of commercial space alongside a youth hostel occupying the lower levels. Anticipated to attract up to 25,000 workers, the tower’s landmark hybrid timber construction, glass and steel facade, and mix of outdoor and indoor spaces make it a groundbreaking achievement in global commercial architecture.
SCOPE OF WORK
TTW provided Structural, Civil, and Facade Engineering services across the full project. Structurally, the design encompasses lateral stability, steel composite design, timber design, and exoskeleton steel design. As the TfNSW Approved Engineering Organisation (AEO) for the project, TTW led approval coordination with Transport for NSW, given the building’s direct adjacency to Platform 1 at Central Station.
From a Civil perspective, TTW designed and coordinated major stormwater service connections, flood protection measures, and public domain works for both current construction and future development phases.
The Facade scope included a bespoke inclined curtain wall system and solar panels integrated into the vertical facades to generate on-site renewable energy, supporting the project’s ambitious sustainability targets of 50% less embodied carbon, 50% less energy consumption, and 100% renewable energy from day one.
CHALLENGES
The project presented a series of complex and interconnected structural challenges. Being directly adjacent to Platform 1 at Central Station required building in a live rail and pedestrian environment, including tunnelling beneath the Devonshire Street pedestrian tunnel and managing retention and excavation works immediately beside active station infrastructure. Approval from Transport for NSW added a further layer of rigour to the design and documentation process.
Structurally, TTW overcame significant overturning moments caused by gravity loads. This was resolved by repositioning the core, which eliminated the need for ground anchors and reduced concrete volume substantially. Additional structural complexity included a steel exoskeleton with mega transfers to the core, four-storey CLT timber buildings with multiple cantilevers, and heritage lower levels requiring reinstatement of the existing parcel shed.
FINALISING
The completed design incorporates an integrated structural and civil solution developed in close collaboration with Eckersley O’Callaghan and the broader project team. The result is a world-first hybrid timber tower that balances engineering rigour with architectural ambition. Atlassian Central received the 2020 Holcim Awards Bronze Prize for Asia Pacific, recognising its contribution to sustainable design innovation ahead of its 2025 completion.
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