555 Collins Street in Melbourne is a transformative two-stage, commercial mixed-use development that revitalises the city’s Midtown precinct. The project, developed and operated by Charter Hall with construction by Lendlease, is characterised by a human-centred approach, ensuring that every design element is rooted in community engagement and the local context. Extensive research, including societal and cultural analysis, global benchmarking tours, and collaborative workshops, informed the master planning and conceptual design, embedding a ‘people-first’ philosophy throughout the development.

Spanning three street frontages, the project integrates engaging urban plazas and a network of internal laneways at ground level, creating a dynamic and interconnected urban environment. The first phase, the ‘North’ tower, was completed in late 2023 and features a vertical campus expressed in three layers: the human scale (base), city context (podium), and skyline (tower). This design approach ensures that the building resonates with its surroundings at multiple levels. Tenants such as Amazon, Allianz, Bendigo Bank, and Hub’s 555 Collins Exchange flagship now call this tower home.

At ground level, the public and lobby areas have been envisioned as an ‘Urban Living Room,’ offering diverse spaces for social connection, collaboration, and quiet reflection. These areas seamlessly connect to a newly created, lush, landscaped north-facing public plaza, providing much-needed sun-drenched indoor/outdoor public space for Melbourne’s Midtown.

The project’s second and final phase will extend the ground plane to Flinders Lane, introducing a new market hall and additional laneway connections. This will further establish 555 Collins Street as a premium, contemporary workplace and serve as a catalyst for the broader revitalisation of the Midtown precinct.

Photography by Trevor Mein