Australia is now home to the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower, with Atlassian Central reaching its full height of more than 180 metres in Sydney, marking the moment its final structural level was completed (known in construction as “topping out”).
At 39 storeys high, the landmark building is approximately 100 metres taller than the previous record holder – the 25-storey Ascent tower in Milwaukee, USA – setting a new global benchmark for innovative construction.
Using a hybrid structural system, the tower combines mass timber with steel and concrete. This approach leverages timber to drastically reduce overall building weight and carbon impact, while relying on steel and concrete to provide the necessary strength and stability required by strict safety standards.
The design of Atlassian Central reimagines the modern workplace, with a four-storey ‘habitat’ structure that combines natural materials, light and ventilation, and intentionally designed spaces for work and collaboration.
The technology-forward design of the building means the project is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in upfront embodied carbon across its structure compared to a conventional premium commercial office tower, and 50 per cent improvement in operational energy efficiency compared to a conventional 5 Star NABERS base building.
Dexus Group CEO & Managing Director Ross Du Vernet said the topping out reflects a project defined by long-term thinking and a willingness to challenge convention.
“We set out to prove that large-scale commercial buildings can be delivered differently. This project has been pioneering in every sense, demonstrating how we can reduce carbon, support wellbeing, and create a workplace built for the future – while still meeting the rigorous expectations of global tenants and investors.”
Atlassian CEO and Co-Founder Mike Cannon-Brookes said: “Atlassian Central is what happens when you apply technology thinking to commercial real estate. It’s not just a smart building with a few dashboards bolted on. It’s the most technologically advanced building in Australia – operating like a software platform, sensing, learning, and adapting in real time. We built it for a future of work that will keep being reinvented by AI, by new ways of collaborating, and by technologies we haven’t even imagined yet.”
Achieving this scale required a level of precision and complex sequencing that is the first of its kind in Australia. Australian-owned contractor Built, in a joint venture with Obayashi Corporation, has led the construction, meticulously bringing together mass timber, steel and concrete elements.
Built Executive Chairman, Group CEO and Founder Marco Rossi said: “Atlassian Central is a testament to the value of digital engineering and modern construction. Combining a mass timber structure with a 39-storey commercial tower required new ways of designing and building, with our team setting a new benchmark. Years of investment in innovative construction methods, advanced modelling and in-house capability enabled us to virtually build and sequence one of Australia’s most complex projects long before work began on site.”
With the structural frame now complete, work will continue on façade installation and central building services, with the development on track for practical completion by the end of this year.
Atlassian Central is co-owned by Dexus and Atlassian, developed by Dexus, and delivered by Built in joint venture with Obayashi Corporation.
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