advance plants – australia

Category: Large Indoor Greenery

Queen’s Wharf is a $3.6 billion development in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, featuring luxury hotels, residences, restaurants, and entertainment venues. It is one of the largest integrated hotel and casino precincts globally and sets a new benchmark in luxury and biophilic design.

Tasked with designing and maintaining a world-class indoor plantscape, we created a lush installation that complements the architectural grandeur of Queen’s Wharf and reflects Queensland’s tropical character. Spanning 20 floors, the project features 1,614 live plants and 595 designer containers integrated across complex interior and semi-exterior spaces.

The project posed unique challenges: very limited pre-installation access, a tight delivery timeline, and unpredictable site readiness. With few architectural renders and no opportunity to visit many areas prior to install, the design team had to rely heavily on experience, planning, and flexibility.

Our plant selections were tailored to site-specific microclimates: low-light indoor areas feature species like Philodendron Congo and Spathiphyllum, while outdoor high-wind zones like the Porte Cochere use hardy vines like Trachelospermum Jasminoides. Artificial greenery was used sparingly and only in zones where maintenance access was physically impossible.

Each installation was tailored to both aesthetic and functional goals—such as the dense planting at the hotel lobby entrance, where over 500 plants were used to screen the adjoining restaurant while maintaining a sense of lush, open elegance. Meticulous attention was given to pot and mulch selection. Fifty different types of containers from five suppliers—including handcrafted pieces from local makers—were chosen to suit each space\’s design palette. Decorative mulches ranged from natural pine bark to polished pebbles, complementing both high-end finishes and more naturalistic environments.

Today, the site is maintained by a dedicated team of technicians, working across 20 floors. A custom wicking system and sustainable pest treatments help ensure health and longevity. The final result is a lush, vibrant interior landscape that enhances functionality, privacy, and visual appeal across one of the most significant architectural projects in Australia.

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