Dexus Place, 80 Collins
With a large portfolio across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, Dexus was eager to provide their clients with additional flexible amenities – not only to retain their customers and cater to their growing needs, but to attract new business through public use.
W+M co-authored our creative brief with Dexus to derive six key themes which underpin the design: Universal, Intuitive, Visionary, Memorable, Hospitable and Flexible. The intent was to provide a professional and mature co-working brand to the corporate market which moves beyond that of established competitors. Dexus Place extends to the wider 80 Collins precinct community, including the newer South Tower tenants and provides high-end facilities on a flexible, as-needs basis and through memberships. Large seminar suites, boardrooms and meeting rooms takes the pressure off organisations investing and providing their own facilities on site.
Dexus Place's overall brief comprises a blend of performance and experience which culminated in the central idea of the 'Alter Ego' - a highly functional, ambitious, and experiential workplace. Our creative strategy for the Alter Ego grounded the project with a unique proposition which drives a highly experiential workspace and a rigorous commercial grounding.
A blend of hard spaces (exposed and raw) and soft transitions (plush and colourful) bring drama and clearly defined destinations in the environment. The choice of materials is additive to these experiences.
The project team embraced the unapologetically urban existing building condition and constraints. The design takes an honest approach to retaining existing elements, achieving sustainability initiatives and cost value for the client, and embracing the unique character of the space. To address the limited natural light, a stair was introduced between the three storeys which amplifies natural light over the volume.
Dexus Place exploits a bold design language, taking risks with spatial planning and experiences. It embraces darkness, texture, and ambience. It is ruthlessly efficient, bringing purpose to all the net usable space. A mature and sophisticated counterpoint to other co-working offers in the market, it innovates through performance and drama - a desirable reason to come to the workplace.
