Adelaide is set to reach new heights with plans for the City’s first skyscraper given the green light by the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP).

The 160 metre, 38-storey Festival Plaza Tower 2 will be the tallest commercial building in Adelaide once completed.

The approval follows a rigorous assessment process, with the development carefully considered against updated planning policies and community feedback.

The SCAP have approved the plans for Festival Plaza Tower 2 which will allow the project to proceed with minor amendments to certain elements of the design.

The new tower will complement the existing 29-level Festival Tower, further activating the Riverbank Precinct as a hub for business, culture and community.

Tower 2 will be the most sustainable office building in Australia and will become the first 6-star NABERS energy building in Adelaide.

It will become the largest all-electric commercial building in Adelaide, with the largest solar array of any commercial building in the city and will be carbon neutral by 2028.

The approved plans follow feedback from the Design Review Panel and the Office for Design and Architecture SA and will ensure the Plaza becomes more of a community hub, with landscaped plazas, pedestrian laneways, outdoor dining and improved connections to the Adelaide Railway Station, Adelaide Oval and Parliament House.

When finished, the site will be home to up to 5,000 office workers and support a further 100 retail positions across its lower-level restaurants, cafes and bars, driving more than $1 billion in yearly economic activity.

Over 1,300 jobs will be generated during the execution of the project, including roles in construction, engineering and project management.

The design integrates narratives from Traditional Owners, referencing historical Kaurna nation stories through landmarks like Tarnda Kanya (Red Kangaroo Rock) and the Karrawirra Pari (River Torrens).