World’s Tallest Hybrid Timber Building Coming to Sydney, Australia

Tokyo-based Obayashi Corporation and Sydney-based Built Pty Ltd. have started work on a 182-meter-tall (597 feet) skyscraper in central Sydney. The project is part of a partnership to build what will be the world’s tallest hybrid-timber building using an eco-friendly wood product.

According to the companies’ press release, the building will be 39-stories high and will be called the “Atlassian Central.” Occupancy is expected in 2026, and the building will be used for offices, accommodations, and retail outlets.

The two builders are saying that reinforced concrete will be used below the seventh floor, including the basement. The seventh floor and above will feature a hybrid-timber structure that consists of a combination of steel frame and cross-laminated timber, a wood panel product made from glued layers of sawn lumber.

In the press release, Built CEO and Managing Director Brett Mason said, “Nothing about this project is typical. It has been designed and developed to be a proof of concept of what the future of buildings should look like that are low impact on the environment in both construction and operation.”