Howard Smith Wharves

Set underneath Brisbane’s renowned Story Bridge, the revitalisation of the historic Howard Smith Wharves precinct unlocks the full potential of this significant site. Since opening, the precinct has surpassed all visitor number expectations. Forecasts anticipate visitation numbers at 5.5 million domestic and 1 million international visitors annually.

Urbis played a key role in repositioning this iconic riverfront site in Brisbane’s CBD and transformed it into one of our city’s treasures and loved destinations. As the lead master planners, landscape architects, planners and heritage advisors, we played a central role in transforming this historic and previously underutilised riverfront precinct.

Our teams established the vision that has transformed the 3.43-hectare site including dedicating 80 per cent of the precinct to publicly accessible open space 24/7.

Bustling docks, tourism operators, amphitheatres, children’s play, boutique accommodation and the reinvented wharves are set against the backdrop of the Story Bridge and the cliffs, creating the quintessentially Brisbane lifestyle experience.

The design cleverly unlocks our heritage for all to enjoy and makes the most of our enviable subtropical climate. The redevelopment has delivered an award winning, worldclass tourism, recreation, lifestyle and event destination directly on the river. 

After years of uncertainty, this iconic Brisbane precinct has once again come to life. We are proud to form part of the team that has guided the redevelopment of Howard Smith Wharves resulting in a sustainable and vibrant place, built around an elegantly robust landscape.