Brisbane City Council has approved the demolition of a 150 year old building on Albert Street for a proposed 13 storey office block.

The two storey building called the William Cairncross House was built in 1865 and designed by James Cowlishaw.In its findings, the council reported that the brick building was already suffering from structural damage caused by water seepage. It required that construction proceed as long as the original building's facade could be retained as much as possible.

"The whole facade is supported by a foundation and footing system which has been irreparably damaged by subsidence/settlement caused by moisture migration from the foundation material under the Albert Street front wall footings," a Robin Gibson and Partners Architects report said."This is caused by the 'drew down' of the water table due to excavation for the council bus tunnel to the Myer Centre and under Albert Street in 1988."

"The whole facade is constructed out of weak, sandstone bricks using soft lime mortar which can be picked out of the perpends and bed joints with the fingers."

The building is located on Albert Street nearby Hungry Jack's and was in its heyday constructed for a local notable baker, William Cairncross.

Council's neighborhood planning chair, Amanda Cooper, told the Sydney Morning Herald that of the facade would be protected."The good news is that the bits of the William Cairncross building facade that can be saved will be carefully restored and retained for future generations to admire," she said.