GPO2 DesignInc Studio

Architect: Johnson & William Wardell, A.E Johnson & Peter Kerr, Walter Burley Griffin & J.S Murdoch, Williams Boag Architects, DesignInc

City of Melbourne | C19

The corner of Elizabeth and Bourke streets has been the site for Melbourne’s General Post Office since 1841. The DesignInc studio is an open-plan workspace set on the second-storey of the grand 1867 GPO building. Designed in 2012, the double-height office provides a healthy environment with access to natural light and air to 70 architects, designers, support staff, and subtenants. The studio was designed to touch the original structure lightly and to fit inside the heritage volume. The studio includes a reception, meeting rooms, work areas, collaborative zones, a library, display spaces and an external courtyard. Biophilic principles informed the design, and the use of natural materials reflect both the built and natural history of the site. The studio is climate controlled with maximum support from the thermal mass of the existing structure, daylight, and fresh air. Flexible spaces allow for various studio activities, reducing the need for tailored environments. Traditionally, all distances to and from Melbourne are measured from under the clocktower, located in the south-west corner of the studio.

Need to Know

• Open: Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm

Heritage Listed: Yes

Expect Queues: Yes

• What's Open: Level 2

• Special Note: Entry via-Postal Lane, Lift 5 (corner Postal Lane & Little Bourke Street)

• Tour Details: Tours run every 20 minutes, 20 people per tour for approximetly 20 minutes.

• Building Type: Workplace

• Facilities: Pram access, Toilets

• Year Built: 2012

• Tram Stops: Stop 3: Bourke St Mall on routes 19, 57 and 59.

• Photo Credit: Lucas Allen

• Tour Type: Guided, queue

Location