Lendlease Unveils Melbourne’s Town Hall Place

Lendlease’s plans for a 10-storey A-grade office building, laneways and retail at a landmark intersection in Melbourne have been endorsed by the Victorian government. 

It’s the missing piece of the puzzle on arguably Melbourne’s most recognisable intersection where Flinders Street and Swanston Street meet, overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. 

The Hassell-designed Town Hall Place at 25 Swanston Street will be nestled next to the city’s landmark Young and Jackson Hotel and above the Metro Tunnel Town Hall Station. 

The office building will comprise 16,000sq m of net leasable area and provide connections between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane with a new arcade.

Lendlease will act as builder and developer for the project with construction slated for 2024. 

Lendlease managing director of development Tom Mackellar said they would be targeting a 6-Star Green Star Rating and a WELL Gold Core rating for the building. 

“Town Hall Place is a rare opportunity to reinvigorate this iconic part of Melbourne’s CBD with new laneways and arcades, retail and dining and a next generation workplace that will contribute to the vibrant culture of this renowned area,” McKellar said. 

“The transformation of this site will showcase how smart over-station development can unlock the potential of our cities by linking key transport interchanges with exceptional retail, workplace, and lifestyle experiences.”

▲ An artist’s render of the Town Hall Station concourse, which is due to open in 2025.

The office tower will accommodate about 1600 workers with views across Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street Station, the Arts Centre and the MCG. 

It also features outdoor terraces and will be fully electric, with renewable energy for base building operations. McKellar said there was a pathway for tenants to become carbon neutral workplaces. 

Meanwhile, work on the Town Hall metro station’s underground concourse is well under way. Directly underneath Melbourne’s City Square, the station is due to open in 2025. 

Construction crews are installing eight 14m columns that will define the expansive 18m-wide station concourse.