“Office lobbies are no longer solemn spaces,” says The GPT Group’s Martin Ritchie as a premium, multi-purpose entrance at 2 Southbank Boulevard in Melbourne repositions one of Australia’s leading commercial spaces.
Frasers Property Australia and the GPT Wholesale Office Fund have unveiled a cutting-edge lobby redesign at their premium asset in Melbourne’s Freshwater Place that responds to the changing nature of work.
“A lot more is now expected from the podiums and lobby areas of office towers from tenants,” Ritchie, fund manager for the GPT Wholesale Office Fund, says.
These “multi-purpose places” must provide a “welcoming atmosphere and growing sense of community” as well as “premium facilities,” Ritchie explain.
Reini Otter, Frasers Property Australia’s executive general manager for commercial and industrial, says the redesign aimed to “offer an edgier, dynamic and engaging environment that would enhance the building’s appeal to a diverse range of tenants”.
The design, led by BVN architects, embodies a business lounge-like atmosphere. BVN’s senior practice director Sally Campbell says equipping the asset to “meet the demands of a shifting workplace landscape” demanded “new “types of space and new models of operation”.
The redesign incorporates guest wi-fi, charging points and a “monolithic” LED screen that displays evolving digital art commissioned for 2 Southbank Boulevard. The lift interiors, amenities and end-of-trip facilities also formed part of the upgrade.
The flexible lobby has been designed to accommodate three distinctive areas. A digital collaborative space for guests and tenants offers a variety of seating options. ‘Espresso Lane’ connects the main lobby to the Freshwater Place piazza and features a new café. And a flexible event space is available for tenants’ meetings and formal functions.
The repositioning came as the buildings’ owners looked to re-lease 23,000 sqm across 15 office levels. Around 22,000 sqm was leased within 12 months and “extensive enquiry” fielded on the limited remaining space.
New commitments include CUB, WPP, Saputo, Select Solutions, Built, Cliftons and The GPT Group’s flexible coworking business, Space & Co. These new tenants join Microsoft, Apple, Heinz and Ausnet.