A makeover of Level 3 at Melbourne Central has recently been completed, giving the space, which is home to entertainment and dining options, a new visual identity and visitor experience.
The level has been redesigned by Technē Architecture + Interior Design, where showcasing Melbourne’s identity was one of the main design objectives.
Technē director Nick Travers says they have adopted a prominent web pattern that emphasises connections between spaces and destinations.
“Just as the centre itself is widely recognised in the city by locals and tourists, we wanted it to abstractly relate to a pattern we are already familiar with, subtly connecting the Centre with other Melbourne architectural icons.
“The result takes cues from local landmarks such as the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Arts Centre spire, Collins Place and Melbourne Central’s own cone.”
“Weaving the city’s identity into our Melbourne projects is something that comes organically to us and similarly it works vice versa where we hope our designs also play a role in the city,” he says.
The practice is known for other Melbourne hospitality projects such as The Espy’s reincarnation, Brunetti Flinders Lane and Garden State Hotel.
Previously defined by its red fluorescent lighting battens, “Level 3 at Melbourne Central is now much more akin to an artist’s installation with its bold colour and patterns where the colour green is prominent.”
Technē’s design provides a renewed visual experience when traversing the level itself as well as viewing it from the Centre’s other vantage points.
“One of the design challenges was the shape of the space and Technē looked to a Japanese art, Kintsugi, for the answer. Kintsugi is a Japanese craft that involves re-joining broken fragments with gold to celebrate imperfections and it has also become a philosophy for accepting things as they are.”
“The geometry of the extensive floorspace is unusually shaped and the fragmented approach to the floor and ceiling treatment helped to ‘stitch’ the spaces together, making the concept of Kintsugi perfect here,” adds Travers.
Digital visual installations are by TKM9 and include an animated tree, a sci-fi garden, interactive game and ribbon light.
Level 3 at Melbourne Central is home to Hoyts Cinemas’ ticketing area, The Pancake Parlour, Grill’d, Strike Bowling Bar and more.
