101 Collins - From Basement Carpark To Prestigious Wellness Destination
For more than three decades, 101 Collins has been one of Melbourne's most prestigious business addresses. Home to global firms including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, the landmark tower has long set the benchmark for premium office space.
Its latest evolution, however, happened well below ground. An underutilised basement car park has been transformed into ONE and RISE - an award-winning end-of-trip and wellness destination that is redefining what employees should expect from the modern workplace. It's proof that the future of office design isn't always about building higher, sometimes it's about looking beneath your feet.
A Landmark Reinvented
Long before 101 Collins became one of Australia's premier business addresses, the site was already associated with luxury. The Federal Coffee Palace, one of Melbourne's grandest hotels, occupied the corner from 1888 before making way for commercial development decades later. In many ways, the site has spent more than a century serving as a destination for premium experiences - first in hospitality, and now in workplace design.
Designed by Denton Corker Marshall and completed in 1991, 101 Collins quickly became one of Australia's most recognisable office towers. Clad in Swedish red granite and crowned by its distinctive illuminated spire, the building helped redefine Melbourne's commercial skyline and established a new standard for premium workplaces.
More than 30 years later, it continues to evolve. As tenant expectations have shifted from prestige alone to wellbeing and workplace experience, 101 Collins has adapted alongside them.
Looking Below Ground
Rather than expanding the building, the owners chose to unlock value from existing space. Part of the basement car park was transformed into ONE, a premium end-of-trip facility featuring generous showers, lockers and bicycle parking wrapped in a refined palette of American walnut, brass and stone. Far removed from the utilitarian feel of a typical EOT facility, the space carries the same sense of craftsmanship found throughout the building. The success of ONE paved the way for the next stage - RISE.
Wellness Beyond The Gym
Operated by Olympian Steph Prem's Studio PP, RISE is a 320-square-metre wellness centre designed to support movement, recovery and overall wellbeing.
The facility includes studios for yoga, Pilates, barre and TRX, alongside treatment rooms for massage, physiotherapy and allied health services. Rather than simply providing a gym, the project offers a more holistic approach to workplace wellness. The design shifts noticeably from the darker, hotel-like atmosphere of ONE to a lighter, calming environment finished in American white oak, flowing curves and natural daylight.
Bringing Daylight Underground
The most remarkable aspect of RISE is that it barely feels like a basement. Two dramatic funnel-shaped skylights draw natural light from the courtyard above, while curved ceilings soften and diffuse the light throughout the interior. Combined with textured glass, timber detailing, lush planting and suspended seating, the space feels open, calm and unexpectedly connected to nature.
Wellness extends beyond architecture, too. Custom soundscapes, carefully curated scents and lighting that follows the body's natural circadian rhythm create an immersive sensory experience designed to promote relaxation throughout the day.
A Smarter Approach To Workplace Design
RISE demonstrates how existing buildings can evolve without expanding their footprint. By repurposing underused basement parking into one of Australia's most sophisticated workplace wellness destinations, 101 Collins has shown that some of the most valuable spaces in a commercial building aren't always the ones with the best views.
As offices compete to attract and retain talent, projects like ONE and RISE suggest the future of workplace design won't be defined solely by desks and meeting rooms, but by the experiences that surround them.
Credits
Base Building Architect
Denton Corker Marshall
Interior Architecture & Design
Gray Puksand
Photography
'ONE' Tatjana Plitt
'RISE' Shannon McGrath
Furniture
Tom Raffield, Jardan, Stylecraft, Living Edge
Lighting
Glowing Structure
Finishes
Henderson, Fibonacci, Alternative Surfaces, Dulux, Gfethers Veneers, Viridian
Fixtures & Fittings
Hansgrohe, Brodware, Apaiser, Duravit, Lockin Lockers, Five at Heart, Made Measure