Melding Pot – 405 Bourke Street by Woods Bagot

Inserted into the Melbourne CBD and its established surrounds, 405 Bourke Street straddles several different building typologies with apparent ease. Woods Bagot carves a new commercial home for NAB and layers a series of ‘third spaces’ for people to meet, do business and find respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Taking inspiration from and capturing an essence of Melbourne, 405 Bourke Street combines both a dynamic energy and a focused stillness. The upper levels of the building are cleanly wrapped in a curtain-glazing system that reflects the ever-changing sky by day and glows lantern-like at night, while on the lower level, a cathedral-esque space provides access points and areas for both incidental and purposeful meetings.

Through the flooding of natural light, a sense of grandeur is imbued as the perceived footprint of the upper levels is increased.

An understanding of existing sensitivities – and working with them, not against them – was key to the project’s success. Inserted amongst established multi-level buildings with their own presence, the form and program of the new building is predominantly vertical. Sitting between Little Collins Street and Bourke Street, the block-wide development uses a mega truss system to open the space between neighbours with a 16.5-metre cantilever. The result allows floods of natural light to fill the interior spaces, imbuing a sense of grandeur on the ground level and increasing the footprint of the upper levels.

Inspired by Melbourne’s renowned laneways, the lower level is offered to the public domain and the creation of supplementary spaces. Becoming a destination as well as place to pass through, the design introduces 800 square metres of retail space to a new pedestrian lane connecting Bourke and Little Collins Streets. Drawing from the energy of the city, the building’s public areas encourage interaction. Known as places of incidental meetings where colleagues can bump into each other while grabbing a coffee or waiting for someone, such ‘third spaces’ complement the experience of working in a space as much as using it as a thoroughfare.

Making a significant contribution to a prominent site within Melbourne’s CBD, 405 Bourke Street will continue as a landmark for many years to come.