Australia has claimed the title of home to the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower, with Atlassian Central reaching its full height of more than 180 metres in Sydney.
The milestone marks the completion of the building’s final structural level, an event known in construction as “topping out”.
At 39 storeys high, the landmark building stands approximately 100 metres taller than the previous record holder, the 25-storey Ascent tower in Milwaukee, USA. The achievement sets a new global benchmark for innovative construction in the timber tower category.
The tower’s design relies on a hybrid structural system that combines mass timber with steel and concrete.
This approach uses timber to significantly cut the building’s overall weight and carbon footprint, while steel and concrete provide the strength and stability required to meet strict safety standards.
Atlassian Central also reimagines what a modern workplace can look like.
The design includes a four-storey “habitat” structure that blends natural materials with light and ventilation, alongside spaces intentionally designed for work and collaboration.
Thanks to its technology-forward approach, the project is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in upfront embodied carbon across its structure compared to a conventional premium commercial office tower.
It is also aiming for a 50 per cent improvement in operational energy efficiency when measured against a conventional 5 Star NABERS base building.
Dexus Group CEO and Managing Director Ross Du Vernet said the topping out reflects a project built on long-term thinking and a willingness to challenge convention.
“We set out to prove that large-scale commercial buildings can be delivered differently,” said Du Vernet.
“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.”
Reaching this scale demanded a level of precision and complex sequencing never before attempted in Australia.
Australian-owned contractor Built, working in a joint venture with Obayashi Corporation, has led the construction effort, carefully bringing together mass timber, steel and concrete elements throughout the build.
Built Executive Chairman, Group CEO and Founder Marco Rossi said the project highlights the value of digital engineering and modern construction methods.
“Atlassian Central is a testament to the value of digital engineering and modern construction,” said Rossi.
“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, attention will turn to façade installation and central building services.
The development remains 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.
The project stands as a marker of how far timber hybrid construction has advanced, and a signal of what may be possible for future large-scale commercial developments in Australia and beyond.