Pembroke Real Estate today revealed its ambitious vision for the extensive refurbishment of Melbourne’s historic T&G Building at 161 Collins Street, in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD).

Built in 1928, the T&G Building is widely regarded as Melbourne’s most beautiful building. Working with architects Bates Smart, Pembroke aims to deliver a new high-class office environment that actively promotes a sense of community, supports high performance and enriches the city of Melbourne.

A dynamic new dual entrance will allow occupiers to choose between the classic entry on Collins Street or the newly pedestrianised laneway Ramsden Place, connecting to the bustling urban surrounds of Flinders Lane and giving seamless access to the building’s amenity rich atrium and brand new end-of-trip facilities. The building’s workspaces will also be transformed with office floors featuring intelligent design and imaginative shared spaces.

Pembroke’s Vice President and Head of Australia, Matthew Knight, said the “T&G Building offers an exciting opportunity to deliver something very special for Melbourne’s business community. T&G will be a completely unique offering, unlike any other in Melbourne and we are excited to repurpose this fantastic historic structure with a modern style and accommodation that reflects today’s and tomorrow’s best business environments. With its prominent dual frontage, the building offers the ideal solution for brands seeking the prestige of a Collins Street address, with all the quintessentially Melbournian delights of Flinders Lane.

“At the heart of our vision is our commitment to delivering more than just a workspace. The new ground plane is a blank canvas upon which we can introduce a carefully curated retail mix that not only caters to our tenants’ needs but also promotes their wellbeing. Additionally, our management team will provide premium club-style concierge services.”

Located at the prestigious ‘Paris End’ of Collins Street, on the corner of Collins and Russell Streets, the T&G Building offers 43,000 square metres of A Grade commercial space over ten levels. The building’s campus style floorplates of up to 4,000 sq m provide an exciting opportunity for brands and businesses to embrace new levels of flexibility, productivity and connectivity within their workplace design.

Long-term tenant IOOF recently announced its commitment to the T&G Building by signing a new ten-year lease and doubling its space across two floors.

Enjoying a prime location, the building is seamlessly connected to Melbourne’s commuter network including tram, bus, rail and bicycle lanes. The enhanced end-of-trip facilities actively encourages healthy lifestyles, with 266 secure bicycle spaces for tenants as well as an extensive shower and locker facility.

Commitment to Australia with international expertise

Knight continued, Pembroke sees tremendous opportunity in the Australian market and is committed to being here for the long-term. The T&G building follows Pembroke’s recent transformation of 20 Martin Place in Sydney from a dated 1970s building into a striking new landmark property.

In line with Pembroke’s commitment to sustainability, the T&G Building will undergo a significant building services review, targeting a 4.5 star NABERS Energy rating. Pembroke is also investigating the opportunity for the building to achieve a rating under the Well Building Rating Tool. The refurbishment is expected to begin in quarter one 2017 and conclude by early 2018.

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