HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron have won the $1 million international design competition for the redevelopment of the historic Flinders Street Station in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The decision by the competition jury was unanimous.
The project will turn the station into a modern 21st century transport hub while retaining its best known heritage features and buildings. It transforms the site into a new civic precinct with a major public art gallery, a public plaza, an amphitheatre, marketplace, and a permanent home for arts and cultural festival organisations.
Flinders Street Station is the hub of Melbourne’s fixed rail network with connections to other transport modes. It sits on a 4.68 hectare site on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River, adjacent to the city’s Federation Square and important arts and cultural institutions. The HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron proposal pulls all these elements together.
The Government of the Australian State of Victoria first announced the competition in November 2011. The final result was announced today by the Premier of Victoria, Denis Napthine. The competition attracted 117 entries. The winning proposal was selected from six short-listed entries by a jury chaired by the Victorian Government Architect, Professor Geoffrey London.
The winning entry is the work of a global team comprising the renowned Swiss based architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron, HASSELL (Melbourne) and Purcell (London) as heritage consultants. The team was supported by a wide range of collaborators including ARUP, Thiess, Equiset, RLB and Aunty Joy Murphy from Jarlo Visions.
Jacques Herzog, Herzog & de Meuron said: “We are excited that our first project in Australia will be a truly public building with such a rich history and inspiring context.”
Ascan Mergenthaler, Herzog & de Meuron:
“Our proposal for the Flinders Street Station underscores the civic nature of a train station by complementing it with cultural and public functions rather than purely commercial activities.
“The weatherproof, articulated filigree vaulted roof-scape is a respectful yet dynamic interpretation and contextual response to the history, function and location of this very special place in the heart of Melbourne.”
Mark Loughnan, HASSELL:
“The winning proposal improves all aspects of the station transport hub and adjacent transport nodes with each of the project boundaries responding specifically to its own distinct context, affording both public function and connection across the site. Read more.
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.