Birkenstock at the Maltstore is the new headquarters and flagship store for Birkenstock Australia, completed in May 2026 within the State-Heritage-listed Carlton United Brewery Maltstore on Naarm, the Country of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. The project sits within a precinct that acknowledges this history through the historic carriageway and museum by ARM Architecture and the Barak Building, whose façade honours Wurundjeri leader, artist and advocate William Barak. The design respectfully engages with this layered cultural and industrial setting, connecting directly to the historic carriageway while allowing the site’s history to remain visible and legible.

While Birkenstock designs products intended to last through care and repair, the retail environments that sell them are often demolished and rebuilt every five to seven years. This project challenges that convention.

Guided by the principles of restraint, circular economy and longevity, selecting an existing heritage building site and preserving the entire ten-year-old upper-level office fit-out, it introduces new work only where it genuinely improves how the business operates. Reclaimed materials, adaptable spaces, flexible furniture and design for future reuse all stem from a single idea: build only what is necessary, then ensure it remains useful for as long as possible.

Visitors experience these values rather than simply reading about them. They enter through a reclaimed bluestone threshold into a space where heritage remains visible, craftsmanship is celebrated, and repair sits at the heart of the customer experience. Before encountering a single pair of shoes, they encounter the values that created them.

Birkenstock at the Maltstore demonstrates that truly sustainable interiors are not defined by how much they add, but by how thoughtfully they preserve, adapt and inspire—proposing a new model for commercial interiors where longevity, rather than replacement, becomes the measure of success.

Photography: Peter Clarke Photography