A long-awaited redevelopment of Brisbane’s Wintergarden precinct has moved a step closer, with plans lodged to transform the ageing Queen Street Mall complex while removing one of its most recognisable architectural features.
A development application (DA A007057493) has been lodged with Brisbane City Council for the Wintergarden and adjoining InterContinental Brisbane precinct, outlining extensive upgrades to the retail areas beneath the hotel and improvements to pedestrian connections between Queen Street Mall and Elizabeth Street.
The proposal, designed by global architecture practice Woods Bagot, includes a redesigned retail gallery across two levels, new escalators and lifts, changes to internal layouts and upgraded public spaces. The retail wing between Tattersall’s Arcade and the Embassy Hotel is proposed to remain largely unchanged, while the InterContinental’s Elizabeth Street entrance and porte cochère would also be refurbished. The hotel tower itself is not included in the application.
Butterfly Façade Set To Disappear
One of the most noticeable changes would be the removal of Wintergarden’s distinctive butterfly façade.
Installed in 2012, the sculptural frontage stretches about 86 metres across Queen Street Mall and features approximately 24,000 LED lights. The artwork was created by Melbourne-based architecture firm Studio 505 in collaboration with Canadian lighting designer Bruce Ramus.
Under the redevelopment plans, the butterfly installation would be removed, with the underlying façade proposed to be restored.
From Retail Destination To Underused Space
Wintergarden opened in 1982 ahead of the Brisbane Commonwealth Games with 92 specialty stores and one of Brisbane’s earliest enclosed food courts, quickly becoming a popular destination for shoppers, diners and city workers.
In recent years, however, large sections of the complex have become vacant as retail activity shifted across the CBD. Several major tenants remain, including Strike Bowling, Goodlife Health Clubs, Zara, M.J. Bale, Sheike and Mecca Maxima, but many shopfronts are no longer occupied.
The changing fortunes of the centre have stood in contrast to other busy retail and dining precincts across Brisbane’s CBD.
New Owners Driving Revitalisation
The redevelopment follows the acquisition of the precinct by IFM Investors from property funds manager ISPT.
The proposal continues work previously undertaken for the site by Woods Bagot under its former ownership. Earlier concepts for the precinct envisioned a broader mixed-use destination featuring revitalised retail, improved pedestrian links, landscaped public areas and expanded hospitality offerings.
While the current development application focuses on the existing retail podium and hotel arrival experience, it marks the first formal stage of a broader effort to revitalise one of Brisbane CBD’s best-known commercial addresses.
If approved, the project would modernise the ageing precinct while retaining key parts of the existing complex and strengthening its connection to the surrounding Queen Street Mall.
Published 10-July-2026
