242 Exhibition Street
242 Exhibition Street
Client:
Charter Hall
Location:
Melbourne, Victoria
Status:
Completed 2025
Contact Person:
Rebecca Daff
For more than 30 years, 242 Exhibition Street in Melbourne was the home of Telstra, the site’s sole tenant.
When the company vacated half of the tower, it opened up 30,000 sqm of space for sublet – and an exciting opportunity to renew the building and precinct.
Our Commercial interiors team made strategic use of a modest budget, repositioning 242 Exhibition Street as a multi-tenant destination.
Anchored by Telstra, the site was able to house 20-30 new tenants, many relocating from Melbourne’s St Kilda Road corridor and seeking a dynamic address in the city centre.
Spaces and stories
The 242 Exhibition precinct is made up of a 60,000sqm tower and five smaller adjoining buildings, spanning from Lonsdale Street to Little Lonsdale Street.
Recognising that a single overarching identity would dilute the budget, we developed five distinct ‘stories’ for a series of spaces. The aim: to derive maximum value and tenant benefit from each specific zone.
The five stories revolved around:
1: Community space
We transformed the ground plane into a civic-style space that blurs the line between street and lobby, creating an inviting park-like environment that draws people in. This fresh space is open, inclusive, and vibrant, designed to encourage connection and casual gathering.
2: Hospitality space
Our hospitality offer features a variety of seating, from single settings to larger communal tables that can accommodate entire teams leaving their office floors to meet or eat together. A new street-facing café with its own identity, complete with a coffee window and direct Exhibition Street entry, repositions the space as a destination in its own right rather than a typical lobby café.
3: Arrival space
Drawing inspiration from hotels, we reimagined the main lobby as a refined, hospitality-led setting. The result is a sophisticated arrival experience that balances formality with warmth – something Telstra and future corporate tenants can be proud of.
4: Third space
We reactivated under-used corridor areas to create flexible ‘third spaces’ – alternative work zones for individuals or small teams. These areas are power-integrated, comfortable, and designed to extend the functionality of the tenancies themselves.
5: Place space
Working with artist Simone Thomson, we embedded a deep connection to Country through an artwork narrative inspired by the river and its commerce – the song of water. A brass inlay across the floor reminds visitors of the water flowing beneath their feet toward the Birrarung, grounding the precinct in its cultural context.
Sustainability + the circular economy
The project team on 242 Exhibition replaced a demolition plan with an ‘existing conditions management plan’, putting the onus on the design and construction team to consider where material would end up.
After auditing existing elements within our intervention zones, the team identified opportunities to reuse, rehome, or recycle materials.
This approach preserved the broader fabric of the site while delivering meaningful circular outcomes and reducing waste, with over 90% of the de-fit diverted to recycling instead of landfill.
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Client:
Charter Hall
Location:
Melbourne, Victoria
Status:
Completed 2025
Contact Person:
Rebecca Daff
Key People
Timothy Caldera
Associate
Melbourne
Registered Architect VIC (19549)
