80 Collins

Since the 1950s, the eastern end of Melbourne’s CBD has been colloquially referred to as “the Paris end” thanks to its heritage buildings and luxury shopping strip. In recent years, however, the area surrounding Collins St had grown stale and lost some of its shine.

Real estate investment firm QIC owned the best block on the best street in Melbourne and was ready to develop it into a mixed-use precinct. However, significant competition for premium real estate tenants meant they had to think beyond developing a city asset and instead focus on creating a place that could set the tone for culture in Melbourne.

As long-time collaborators with QIC, we were invited to begin work on what became 80 Collins. From the beginning of working together our place strategy focused on creating a day-and-night economy that energised Melbourne’s east end.

We did this by creating the tools for QIC to engage with the right balance of commercial workspaces, luxury retailers and unique hospitality experiences – not just as tenants but as collaborators, inviting them to be a part of an ambitious vision by working with us to express their own visions and develop creative outcomes that hadn’t ever been seen before.

Flash forward to the present, 80 Collins is now thoroughly intertwined with the fabric of Melbourne, a place to work, drink, dine, shop and – most importantly – connect.


An ambitious vision

80 Collins’ vision was to be a place of energy and vitality for Melbourne’s east end – a place of illuminating ideas and connections. To represent this vision, we used a play of light across the wordmark. Oscillating between night and day, it speaks to a place that never stands still – one that lights up the city.


Attracting the best of the best

Securing tenants that shared 80 Collins’ visionary outlook was crucial to its success. Our approach to leasing broke away from the traditional process, instead encouraging potential tenants to present their boldest and most innovative ideas for consideration.

We developed a bespoke leasing campaign to truly set 80 Collins apart – creating an invitation like no other. Our campaign focused on place and spoke to 80 Collins as a space for collaborative collisions. A series of creative gestures were developed to spark imagination and create outcomes never seen before.

These elements were supported by thoughtfully-designed assets that communicated the precinct's complexity and uniqueness. A simple 2D illustration was not going to do 80 Collins justice, so we exploded floor plans and created a 3D immersive video plan.


Changing the landscape of Melbourne’s CBD

The results speak for themselves, both in recognition and economic outcomes. With its launch, 80 Collins achieved the highest ever dollar per square metre rental rate in Melbourne. And in 2022, the project was recognised internationally at the World Architecture Festival – winning ‘best mixed-use design’.

80 Collins is a visionary destination that amplifies the city’s culture and acts as the catalyst for connection – one that’s revitalised the east end of Melbourne’s CBD.