About

Casselden Place Lobby.

ArchiPro Project Summary - Revitalization of Casselden Place Lobby in Melbourne's CBD, enhancing public engagement and interior atmosphere while integrating art and nature, completed in 2024.

Title:: Casselden Place Lobby, CBD
Architect:: K 2 L D
Category:: Commercial/; Mixed-use Spaces
Completed:: 2024
Price range:: 5m+
Photographers:: Jeremy Wright

K2LD were engaged by ISPT for the design and delivery of upgrade works to the public realm at their A-grade office building, Casselden, in Melbourne’s CBD. Located on the corner of Spring and Lonsdale streets, Casselden sits as a landmark commercial offering within the wider Spring Place precinct – a collection of 3 buildings interconnected by a bustling central laneway and pocket park. Located in close proximity to some of Melbournes most beautiful gardens, we drew on this inspiration to deliver a fresh and welcoming revitalisation of Casseldens ground plane with improved connection and engagement with the buildings occupants and the wider Spring Place precinct.

The design proposal focuses on the buildings ground floor, promoting an open and warm interior atmosphere. New access points were created, including a direct link to the neighbouring 271 Spring St, as well as improving access and visibility of Madame Brussels Ln and Pocket Park. A series of flexible spaces including lounges, informal meeting spaces and tech driven town hall and conference rooms were added to activate the peripheral zones while the main foyer delivers an impactful entry to the building, refining and reinvigorating existing details of the architecture and housing concierge services and casual lounge spaces. A new timber screen adds gravitas to the expansive foyer, emphasizing the verticality and scale of the space, and dissolves into a custom installation reflective of the falling leaves and changing seasons evident in the nearby gardens. A dynamic LED installation allows the ability to engage with the precincts wide offering of activities and initiatives that are often on display in the buildings foyer.

A layering of natural and textural materials throughout softens the commercial nature of the interiors and delivers a consistent narrative. The strategic recycling and re-use of existing terracotta cladding helped to reduce construction waste and assist in managing the project budget, as well as retaining a connection to the buildings past. Collaboration with a local gallery developed of a number of flexible exhibition spaces and the inclusion of a permanent collection of artwork by a talented group of female abstract artists. Artworks were commissioned and displayed to enhance the connection to nature and create moments of intrigue as you move through the interior.

Minor façade works enhance the buildings street presence and improve engagement with the public interface along Spring Street. Re-cladding of the existing canopy and opening up of the façade creates connection to a new retail tenancy allowing both indoor and outdoor dining opportunities and a new amenity offering for the building. New architectural interventions were extruded from the building, extending the floor plate and engaging with the re-invigorated pocket park below. New hard and soft landscaping to pocket park creates a natural buffer between the buildings and provides an area of respite within the precinct accessible to the wider public. The continuation of landscape works extended to the buildings interior, with planting assisting in the softening and greening of internal spaces as well as the internal courtyard, offering protected outdoor lounge and work zones and a sculptural installation reflective of the colours and textures of autumn. Collaboration with a branding and wayfinding team ensured that there was consistency across all touch points of the revitalization and that Casselden sat comfortably as its own brand while still engaging with the Spring Place precinct.

Project Gallery

Minor façade works enhance the buildings street presence and improve engagement with the public interface along Spring Street. Re-cladding of the existing canopy and opening up of the façade creates connection to a new retail tenancy allowing both indoor and outdoor dining opportunities and a new amenity offering for the building.

Views and Engagement

Professionals used

K 2 L D

Architects

k2ld.com

K 2 L D. We are an international architecture and interior design practice with a vision to Nurture the Future. With offices in Melbourne, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, K2LD is now over 20 years old. We’re a proud, passionate and diverse group of individuals who combine to create great outcomes for our clients and the urban environment. It’s in our differences that we find our distinctiveness, and that shows in our work – from all scales of single or multi-residential and commercial developments, through to public and private education and infrastructure projects throughout the region.