Cbus Property Completes World-leading Solar Skin at 435 Bourke St

One of Australia’s first building-integrated solar facade installed at new Melbourne landmark demonstrates world leadership in sustainable buildings.

Leading national integrated property investor and developer, Cbus Property, has completed the installation of one of the world’s first solar skin façades at 435 Bourke Street, marking a major milestone in the delivery of one of Australia's most sustainable premium office buildings.

The completion of the solar skin marks a significant milestone not only for 435 Bourke Street, but for the future of sustainable commercial development in Australia. Delivered through a close collaboration between Cbus Property, national award-winning architect Bates Smart and global construction contractor Multiplex, the achievement demonstrates how ambitious sustainability objectives can be integrated into world-class architecture and construction outcomes.

Covering 2,679 square metres, the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system spans the tower's façade, crown and rooftop and comprises 1,391 integrated solar panels with an installed peak capacity of 375 kilowatts (kWp), representing one of the world's first large-scale solar facades incorporated into a commercial office tower.

The solar skin performs multiple functions within the building envelope, generating renewable electricity while also providing passive shading in selected areas of the façade. This reflects an emerging approach to the use of photovoltaic technology in commercial buildings, combining on-site renewable energy generation with elements of the building's architectural design.

Cbus Property’s Chief Executive Officer, Chris Kakoufas, said the completion of the solar skin represented “a defining moment for sustainable commercial development in Australia”.

"Successfully installing 435 Bourke Street's solar skin is a significant achievement for our project team and partners, not to mention a tangible demonstration of how innovation and sustainability can be embraced to enhance a building’s performance while contributing to its architectural identity," Mr Kakoufas said.

Mr Kakoufas went on to say design modelling had estimated that, once commissioned, the façade would generate up to 20 per cent of 435 Bourke Street’s forecast base building electricity requirements on site, with the balance supplied through an off-site renewable energy arrangement, as represented by the Green Building Council of Australia’s 6 Star Green Star targeted rating.

“This reduces operational costs for our tenant partners and emissions from grid electricity consumption, while creating a distinctive visual identity for the tower,” he said.

The installation of the solar skin required a highly complex construction process and close collaboration between Cbus Property, Bates Smart and Multiplex, alongside multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy BG&E Engineers and other specialist project partners, to integrate energy-generating technology into the building envelope while maintaining architectural excellence and construction efficiency.

Multiplex’s Regional Managing Director for Victora and South Australia, Ross Snowball, said installing the solar skin had been “one of the most challenging aspects of delivering the project”.

“Integrating nearly 1,400 photovoltaic panels into the building envelope required not just technical smarts but also extensive coordination between the façade, structural and services teams to ensure no impact to quality or program,” Mr Snowball said.

“It's a great example of how early collaboration between project partners enables innovation to be embedded into the delivery of a project rather than bolted on at the end.”

Bates Smart Director, Cian Davis, echoed this sentiment, saying “the role of a tower façade has always been to protect the interior from the sun”.

“At 435 Bourke Street, it does that while also generating the building's power, through one of Australia's first solar skins, with solar ‘leaves’ that shade the workplace as they produce energy,” Mr Davis said.

“Beyond the technology itself, the building demonstrates that energy generation can be part of a tower's architectural expression, giving form, texture and identity to the façade, rather than sitting invisibly within it.”

Construction on 435 Bourke Street is progressing toward practical completion in late 2026. Once complete, the development will provide approximately 62,000 square metres of premium office accommodation, a curated hospitality experience and hotel-style amenity. Approximately 3,500 jobs are anticipated to have been created on site throughout construction, with an average of 300 workers on site daily and up to 490 workers during peak construction periods, supporting economic activity while delivering long-term value for CBUS Super members.