171 Collins Street

AT A GLANCE

Amenity as the new currency: a workplace that does more than just desks.

A Third Space: a hospitality-style atmosphere attracts and retains employees and tenants. 

Data-backed design: Leverages Hassell research to provide generous human gestures that increase occupancy and productivity.

In Melbourne, a central postcode no longer guarantees a full workplace. With employees voting with their feet, the office must earn its keep. At 171 Collins Street, we’ve traded corporate stature for a more human experience — transforming a landmark into a destination that actually commands a commute.

Working with Charter Hall and CBUS Property, Hassell reimagined the building’s Third Space offer across the ground floor and level two. The brief asked for shared spaces that could grow with a new generation of tenants. We saw an opportunity to go further — a layered, hospitality-forward environment that adds real value to the building’s offer and gives employees a richer reason to show up.

Level two now feels less like a corporate office and more like an amenity rich place you’d choose to spend time. There’s space to focus, space to collaborate, and space to pause — from a boardroom suite and wellness precinct with studio and multifaith room, to project rooms that open or close as needed. At the heart of it all sits a central lounge and bar — open to tenants and guests alike — lending the floor a social energy that’s more members’ club.

On the ground floor, a new café is sensitively woven into the lobby’s existing character and identity. It enlivens the entry, animates the connection between Collins Street and Flinders Lane, and gives the building a palpable activation from the moment you walk in.

For building owners, this kind of investment pays off in tenant attraction and retention — a direct competitive advantage in a market where amenity increasingly drives leasing decisions. For the people who work here, it means a more compelling reason to leave their home offices.

Our Workplace Futures 2025 research makes clear, great amenities like fresh air, greenery and natural light doesn’t just make people happier — it brings them back and keeps them productive. 171 Collins is proof that the future of the premium office isn’t more desk space. It’s more of everything else.