Quay Quarter Tower, the world’s first fully upcycled skyscraper in Sydney’s Circular Quay that has set a new, global standard for building retrofit, is a 2025 Finalist for the world’s most prestigious and impactful environmental award, The Earthshot Prize. Quay Quarter Tower joins a historic coalition of leaders recognised for driving climate action and inspiring everyone to build a better future for people and planet.
Founded by HRH Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize recognises solutions from different geographies, sectors and stages in their life cycle, and is dedicated to solving our planet’s greatest challenges. The Prize in 2025 marks the halfway point in the Earthshot decade, as the mission gathers pace in this next critical juncture.
The renovated Quay Quarter Tower has been announced as a finalist for this year's edition of Prince William's Earthshot Prize, in the Build a Waste-Free World category, making it the first-ever building to be nominated for the award.
Situated in Sydney's Circular Quay, the 206-metre-tall skyscraper, originally completed in 1976 as the AMP Center, was refurbished in 2022 by Danish architecture studio 3XN and Australian studio BVN.
Quay Quarter Tower, the world’s first fully upcycled skyscraper, shows how retrofitting high-rise towers can replace demolition, cut waste and carbon and offer a blueprint for sustainable urban growth.
The buildings sector, accounts for more than 40% of global waste and over a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, new construction continues at pace worldwide, often prioritised over more energy-efficient retrofits.
The problem is especially pressing for the thousands of office towers built during the 20th century. Once symbols of progress, many of these buildings have reached the end of their intended lifespan.
The usual response has been demolition – a process that not only releases huge amounts of carbon but also contributes to the mounting global waste crisis.
Originally the tallest building in Sydney when it opened in 1976, Quay Quarter Tower had reached the end of its life. But rather than simply demolish and rebuild, a visionary coalition of of architects, engineers, building contractors, and developers chose a radical alternative for the building: deciding instead to upcycle and retrofit the iconic skyscraper.
Danish architects 3XN were at the heart of the project, alongside Australian executive partner BVN, engineers BG&E and Arup, and contractor Multiplex. When work was complete in 2022, they had managed to retain 65% of the original structure and 98% of the core, avoiding more than 12,000 tonnes of embodied carbon.
More information:
https://earthshotprize.org/winners-finalists/quay-quarter-tower/
https://3xn.com/news/quay-quarter-tower-named-finalist-earthshot-prize
