CGU Tower
181 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
- 122 m tall · #89 in Melbourne
- 27 floors
- 21 businesses
- 450 car spaces
What's available here Add a listing link
| Looking to | In this building | Area guide | Search the building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease space | — | — | realcommercial.com.au ↗commercialrealestate.com.au ↗ |
Each link opens a Google search limited to that site.
18 years standing
Built in 2 yrs
- Jan 2006Construction started
- 2008Completed
- TodayStill standing
88 building permits · 3 news storiesFull timeline ↓
About CGU Tower
CGU Tower at 181 William Street is an office tower with 27 floors above ground, standing 123 m to the top. Designed by Bates Smart and built by Brookfield Multiplex, it was completed in 2008, after construction began in 2006.
At a glance
Key facts
- Building type
- 🏢 Commercial
- Completed
- 2008
- Construction started
- 2006 Unconfirmed ?We don't have data to 100% confirm this data point as yet.
- Height
- 123 m Unconfirmed ?We don't have data to 100% confirm this data point as yet.
#89 of 1596 in Melbourne - Floors
- 27
- Footprint
- 3,247 m²
- Architect
- Bates Smart
- Builder
- Brookfield Multiplex
- Businesses
- 21
- Car spaces
- 450
- Strata plan
- PS617351 · 1 lots
- Planning zone
- CCZ1
- Permits on record
- 88
Score cards
Flagstaff Station 5 min walk · 7 tram stops within 400 m
115 cafés, 2 grocers, 13 medical within 250 m
83 street trees within 150 m · park 163 m away
7,085 people pass daily nearby · 39 licensed venues within 200 m
Calculated from PTV timetable stops, the City of Melbourne business census, street trees, pedestrian sensors and liquor licences.
The building team
The people and companies behind the design, construction and management of CGU Tower.
Location & neighbourhood
Getting around
Train station5 min · 394 m
Train station5 min · 400 m
Tram stop1 min · 50 m
Tram stop1 min · 62 m
Tram stop3 min · 214 m
Straight-line walking estimate. Source: PTV GTFS, CC BY 4.0.
Within a 3-minute walk
Who lives in Melbourne (CBD)
ABS Census 2016 via City of Melbourne (CC BY).
Businesses in CGU Tower
21 businesses recorded in the City of Melbourne's latest business census.
Abacus CBD
Amie Bakery
AUSTRALIAN GAS INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED
Baker McKenzie
Bluescope Steel Limited
CBW Express
CGU Insurance Limited
Colin Biggers & Paisley
Commonwealth DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS
Looking for space in CGU Tower?
Timeline
Everything that has happened at CGU Tower: listings, news, works, planning and history.
Planning & heritage
Planning controls
DDO1Design and Development Overlay: limits on building height, setbacks and designDDO10Design and Development Overlay: limits on building height, setbacks and designPO1Parking Overlay: controls on how much car parking new development can provideVicmap Planning, © State of Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), CC BY 4.0. Plain-English summaries are ours. Check the planning scheme for exact controls.
Subdivision & permits
- Plan of subdivision
- PS617351
- Lots on the plan
- 1
- Owners corporation
- Not recorded
- Building permits on record
- 88
- Estimated cost of works
- About $351.4m
Costs are estimates declared on permits, not amounts spent. Stages of a project repeat its value, so we group them and count each project once. A value can cover a project spanning several buildings. Our calculation from City of Melbourne building permits, CC BY 4.0.
History of the site
How it's been recorded over time
City of Melbourne Census of Land Use and Employment, since 2002.
Community
What people say about CGU Tower in public forums and groups, and reviews left here.
Tenant reviews
No reviews of CGU Tower yet. Be the first to tell future tenants what it's like.
Reviews are checked before they're published. No one is named without permission.
Rate and review CGU Tower
Frequently asked questions
Is CGU Tower residential or commercial?
CGU Tower is a commercial building. The City of Melbourne lists its main use as office.
When was CGU Tower built?
CGU Tower was completed in 2008.
How many floors does CGU Tower have?
CGU Tower has 27 floors above ground.
What businesses are in CGU Tower?
The latest council census counted 21 businesses in CGU Tower, including Abacus CBD, Amie Bakery and AUSTRALIAN GAS INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED.
Is there office or retail space for lease in CGU Tower?
See the commercial listings on this page, or search this address on realcommercial.com.au and commercialrealestate.com.au.
Who designed and built CGU Tower?
NH Architecture designed CGU Tower and Brookfield Multiplex built it. The building team section has the sources.
How tall is CGU Tower?
About 122 metres, measured from the City of Melbourne's 3D building model. It's number 89 of 1596 buildings in Melbourne by height.
What public transport is near CGU Tower?
Flagstaff Station is the nearest train station, about 5 minutes' walk. The nearest tram stop is Bourke St/William St #5, about 1 minute's walk.
What is the planning zone for CGU Tower?
The site is in the Capital City Zone - Schedule 1 (CCZ1).
Does CGU Tower have an owners corporation?
Plan of subdivision PS617351 has 1 lot.
How much did CGU Tower sell for?
In 2014, GPT Group and GPT Wholesale Office Fund bought the CBW complex from Cbus Property for $608.1 million.
Has any work been done on CGU Tower recently?
The City of Melbourne has issued 88 building permits for CGU Tower since 1998. The most recent was in May 2026.
Compare with nearby buildings
| Building | Type | Distance | Floors | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGU Tower | Commercial | — | 27 | 2008 |
| 550 Bourke Street | Commercial | 0 m | 21 | 2009 |
| 570 Bourke | Commercial | 60 m | 33 | 1972 |
| The William | Mixed use | 82 m | 25 | 1966 |
| Douglas Menzies Chambers | Commercial | 86 m | 13 | 1973 |
| Quest on William | Hotel | 86 m | 16 | 1967 |
| Owen Dixon Chambers East | Commercial | 118 m | 14 | 1961 |
That's Built compiles information from public records, research and contributions. Details are checked against multiple sources where possible but may contain errors and aren't professional advice. Sources: City of Melbourne building permits (CC BY 4.0), CLUE building information (CC BY 4.0), CLUE business establishments (CC BY 4.0), Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) (Open G-NAF EULA (CC BY 4.0 based)). Street View and business details © Google Maps.