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Historic Treasury Building to Become Griffith’s New AI and Cyber Security Hub

Griffith University’s School of Information and Communications Technology, home to Queensland’s top-ranked artificial intelligence programme, will move from its Nathan campus into the heart of Brisbane’s CBD from 2027. The move establishes the heritage-listed Treasury Building as the state’s most significant urban technology and AI learning hub.

The transformation of the Treasury Building—formerly operated as a casino by The Star Entertainment Group and acquired by Griffith for $67.5 million—marks a major milestone in the adaptive reuse of Queensland’s heritage architecture. COX Architecture is leading the design and fitout of the iconic landmark.

The campus will welcome its first intake of students in 2027, eventually accommodating roughly 6,000 students and 200 staff members at full operation.

A building that has always shaped Queensland’s story

The Treasury Building on Queen Street is one of Brisbane’s most significant heritage-listed structures, its ornate Baroque Revival sandstone façade remaining a fixture of the CBD skyline for more than a century. It began life as Queensland’s colonial treasury, transitioned through phases as a public service building, and most recently served as a casino.

Now, it begins its next chapter as a purpose-built learning environment.

The decision to bring Griffith’s ICT school into this central space is a deliberate strategy to bridge academia and industry. Professor Ernest Foo, who leads the school, noted that the central location offers unmatched opportunities for collaboration.

“Bringing ICT students together in the Treasury Building will offer so many opportunities to build connections that they’ll take into their future careers,” Professor Foo said. “The Treasury Building will allow us to build on the work we currently do to connect students from across disciplines to collaborate and work with industry partners in real-world scenarios.”

AI and cyber security at the centre of the vision

The ICT school’s relocation anchors the Treasury’s identity as a technology hub focused on two critical disciplines: artificial intelligence and cyber security. Professor Foo explained that AI sits at the core of the school’s teaching and research initiatives.

“Artificial intelligence is one of those big disruptors in the modern world,” Professor Foo said. “It’s changing the way we work. And it’s not one of those things to be feared so much, but it’s one of those things that we can take advantage of.”

Griffith was the first university in Queensland to offer a dedicated Bachelor of Cyber Security degree, alongside its master’s programme. Professor Foo highlighted that industry demand for specialist cyber security professionals continues to outpace the supply of graduates.

“From listening to industry, we’ve found that there’s a big need for more people with that specialist knowledge. Being located in the Treasury Building in Brisbane will help us to meet that need.”

The university will run its signature industry simulation events and tech hackathons directly from the CBD campus. These practical intensives bring together students from IT, business, law, and criminology to tackle real-world digital threats, delivering the exact cross-disciplinary experience modern employers demand.

Students who are already thinking about what it means

Master of Cyber Security student Henry Ng said the Treasury Building’s combination of heritage and technology makes the move unique.

“I think it’s really interesting to see a historic building like the Treasury Building being used for a future-focused field like IT,” Ng said. “That contrast between heritage and technology makes it quite unique.”

For Ng, the CBD location changes the texture of student life by lowering the barrier to professional networking.

“Being in the CBD also means we’re closer to industry, so it creates more opportunities to connect what we learn with what’s happening in the real world,” he said. “Being in the city also means more people will see and interact with Griffith students, which builds a stronger presence and makes the experience feel more dynamic.”

This perspective reflects how modern universities are integrating directly into city infrastructure. Griffith’s teaching framework is guided by an Industry Advisory Board—a panel of sector experts who align curriculum with current industry needs to ensure graduates possess highly targeted, hirable skills.

What opens alongside ICT

The Treasury Building will not function exclusively as an AI and technology hub. The campus will also house undergraduate and postgraduate business and law degrees, alongside postgraduate and executive education programmes.

By drawing thousands of local and international students directly into the heart of the city, the central hub will inject significant economic activity into the Brisbane CBD.

The new Brisbane City campus will complement Griffith’s existing presence at South Bank, home to the Queensland College of Art and Design, the Griffith Film School, and the Queensland Conservatorium.

Construction is currently underway, and the Treasury Building campus will officially open to students in 2027.

Published 6-May-2026

Treasury Building Brisbane to Become Griffith University’s New CBD Campus by 2027

Photo Credit: COX

One of Brisbane’s most recognisable landmarks is about to begin a new chapter. The Treasury Building Brisbane — a sandstone icon that has watched over the CBD for well over a century — is being transformed into a university campus, with Griffith University set to open its doors there in 2027.

The project brings together COX Architecture, builder FDC Construction and Fitout, and heritage specialists Lovell Chen, working alongside Griffith University to deliver what will become the heart of a new cross-river Brisbane City campus. When combined with the university’s existing creative and performing arts precinct at South Bank, the two locations will form a connected campus straddling the river.

The new campus will cater to undergraduate and postgraduate students in business, IT, and law, and is expected to accommodate around 6,000 students and 200 staff by 2028.

The building itself carries a layered history. Constructed in stages between 1886 and 1928, it originally served as home to various government departments. The site holds deeper significance still — situated along the banks of the Meanjin, it was once a gathering place for First Nations communities and an important river crossing. In 1995, the building was converted into the Treasury Casino, a process that involved enclosing the central courtyard and opening up other interior spaces.

The university’s redevelopment seeks to undo some of those later changes and return the building closer to its original design intent. Salvaged heritage features that have been held in storage will be reinstated, and the centrepiece of the project will be a restored central courtyard — an open, flexible space designed for everything from day-to-day student activity to major events such as graduation ceremonies.

Three large skylights will be added to reconnect the courtyard with the sky above, drawing natural light deep into the building. The design approach, led by COX, treats the building itself as the starting point — its character, proportions, and materials informing how modern learning spaces have been configured within it. Adaptable furniture systems will allow rooms to be easily reconfigured to support different teaching styles and group sizes.

Public access will also be restored. Entry via Elizabeth Street at ground level and through the main Queen Street entrance at the first floor will be reinstated, with a new lift discreetly integrated into the Queen Street façade to ensure equitable access to the heritage entry. Restored heritage rooms will be opened for public tours, keeping the building connected to the broader community rather than becoming a purely private academic space.

The project is significant not just for the university but for the ongoing story of Brisbane’s city centre. The Treasury Building has long been a civic touchstone, and its return to a more publicly engaged use — as a place of learning and community activity — continues that tradition while giving it fresh purpose.

The Treasury Building campus is scheduled to open in 2027. For more information on Griffith University’s Brisbane City campus plans, visit griffith.edu.au.

Published 14-April-2026

Griffith Uni Considering Tenancy of Myer Centre Location When Retail Chain Leaves

Photo credit: Facebook / The Myer Centre

Griffith University may be considering tenancy of the Myer Centre location in the Brisbane CBD. The retail chain recently announced that it will be leaving its flagship store by the end of July 2023.

The Myer lease will end in July 2023, but it seems that the site could be taken soon after Myer leaves the five-level building with Griffith University emerging as its likely new tenant. The school is reportedly needing up to 15,000 square metres of space as a requirement for a CBD campus and the Myer Centre site could be leased as a stopgap measure whilst a permanent location is being sought.

After 35 years, Myer Centre revealed in mid-March 2023 that it will not be renewing its lease at its 28,000 sqm location in the heart of Brisbane next to Queen Street Mall after failing to “reach appropriate and reasonable commercial terms with the current landlord.”

Myer stressed that it remains committed to keeping its presence in the Brisbane CBD and is now looking for alternative locations. The announcement came as Myer announced that it posted a record half-yearly sales growth of 24 per cent, despite closing many of its stores across Australia

A spokesperson for Vicinity and ISPT said that the co-owners are investigating options for the site including a small-scale department store.

Some experts believe that Myer Centre’s decision not to renew its lease would further impact Brisbane’s CBD vacancy figures which currently has one of the lowest occupancy rates in any Australian CBD.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, however, sees it as an opportunity to reinvigorate the space into a more vibrant retail experience for local residents and visitors alike.

“Myer first opened at its current location just before Expo ‘88 and with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, now is the perfect time for the centre’s owners to reimagine one of Queensland’s premier retail spaces,” he said.

“The Myer Centre once had live music on its lower levels as well as a fun park at the top and has always evolved and moved with the times.

“I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the centre to be reinvigorated into a vibrant, modern retail experience for residents and visitors and I look forward to working with the owners on their future plans.”

Myer said that whilst they explore future CBD options, their Indooroopilly, Chermside, Carindale and Mt Gravatt stores as well as their 24/7 online business will continue to trade. The retail chain is also exploring redeployment options within the business and remaining stores for its team members, wherever possible.

Published 27-March-2023