Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower is fast becoming the reference point for anyone weighing refurbishment against demolition.
Completed in early 2022, the refurbishment project took a 1970s office tower and kept as much of the sounds elements as possible, then added space and performance where it mattered.
The restoration retained about 65% of the existing structure and roughly 98% of the structural walls and core, in the process avoiding thousands of tonnes of embodied CO₂e compared with a full rebuild. The result looks and feels like a new commercial tower, while carrying a fraction of the carbon footprint.
The iconic Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney was originally built in the 1970s. Its high-performance glass facade improves solar protection and reduces energy use. Image credit: Arup
Earthshot recognition and why it matters
In October 2025, Quay Quarter Tower was announced as a finalist for The Earthshot Prize in the “Build a Waste-Free World” category.
The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental award created by Prince William to back practical climate and nature solutions. Each year there are five winners, one for each “Earthshot,” and each receives £1 million plus a year of support to scale their impact.
This year’s awards took place in Rio de Janeiro. Prince William fronted the week of events in the city and hosted the ceremony, using the platform to champion solutions like Quay Quarter that reduce waste and carbon through reuse.
As Quay Quarter’s Earthshot entry makes clear, buildings are responsible for over 40% of global waste and more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the industry still leans towards new construction rather than energy-efficient retrofit.
Renovation highlights
Quay Quarter Tower’s complex 206-metre, 49-storey renovation retained more than half the original structure, including slabs, beams, and columns. By cleverly reusing 98% of its existing core, architects more than doubled the usable floor space and allowed for an entirely new architectural form, built around five stacked, cantilevered blocks with daylight-filled atria and rooftop terraces.
The innovative facade was not only aesthetically upgraded but engineered for optimal solar shading, with high-performance glazing and sunshades that reduce heat and glare, directly lowering cooling loads and improving indoor comfort.
From an environmental point of view, this is a template that the UK’s commercial property sector should aspire to. The renovation achieved savings of over 12,000 metric tonnes in embodied carbon, equivalent to thousands of international flights (or, to be exact, 70,000 flights from Sydney to Melbourne). The building’s carbon footprint measures around 220 kg CO₂/m², dramatically lower than the 600–700 kg CO₂/m² typical of new construction.
Adaptive reuse avoided the high environmental costs of demolition and replacement. This is an imperative recognised in new regulations like the proposed Part Z legislation, something we’ve explored at length in previous articles.
During reconstruction, 65% of the building’s original 1970s floorplates and structure were retained. Image credit: Adam Mørk
The facade lesson
A facade is one of the main levers for a building’s operational performance. While Quay Quarter’s 50-year-old envelope wasn’t able to be recycled in this project, the new facade system uses high-performance glazing and articulated shading to cut heat gain and glare, lowering cooling costs, reducing carbon output, and improving comfort.
Maintained properly, the new facade will last for decades to come.
Industry guidance suggests that facades typically embody 13–20% of a building’s lifetime carbon output, with refurbishment costs sitting at around 5% that of replacement. Therefore, their long-term use provides measurable environmental benefits and cost savings.
The Quay Quarter Tower rebuild demonstrates how refurbishment and reuse can slash carbon footprint and meet incoming regulations like Part Z where reusable facades could be mandated as standard practice.
On stone or brick, that may mean DOFF Steam Cleaning, conservation-grade repairs and selective component swaps. On more modern envelopes, facade restoration, localised panel upgrades and moisture management would be the ideal solution. The goal is the same. Get more performance and longevity from the existing building facade while avoiding replacement.
Carbon and cost together
Whole-life carbon is now part of mainstream decision-making in the UK. RICS’ Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard asks teams to compare options on cradle-to-grave emissions before they commit to major works. That sits neatly with the reality that replacement brings a large spike in carbon output and capex, while refurbishment preserves value already on site.
Our own programmes typically show refurbishment costs at a fraction of full replacement, plus the added benefits of shorter programmes and less disruption for occupiers. Quay Quarter demonstrates how those principles work at scale.
What we can take from this
Quay Quarter Tower’s world-leading renovation is proof that adaptive reuse and deep sustainability principles are the future of our commercial property sector.
The project’s substantial carbon savings, operational efficiencies, and outstanding architectural results deliver a blueprint for commercial regeneration worldwide, aligning with ongoing evolutions in environmental property law and sustainable building practices.
For the UK’s commercial building owners and property managers, embracing facade maintenance and restoration not only meets environmental responsibilities but also future-proofs investments in the face of evolving sustainability standards.
Start your commercial facade restoration plan today
With more than 30 years’ experience, See Brilliance supports commercial clients across the UK with restorative cleaning and in situ facade restoration. Our operatives work with architects, landlords, facilities managers and property owners to keep buildings safe, visually striking and environmentally efficient.
To speak to our team, call 01635 230888, email [email protected] or contact us here.
We offer a full range of specialist facade restoration services, including glass restoration, graffiti removal and TORC Cleaning.