Town Hall Station in Melbourne recognised on Prix Versailles’ List of World’s Most Beautiful Stations

Town Hall Station in Melbourne has been recognised on Prix Versailles' "World’s Most Beautiful Stations List 2026". 

Designed by RSHP, Hassell and WW+P, Town Hall Station creates a new civic meeting place in the heart of Melbourne with a primary entrance that bookends and augments the existing City Square. The entry pavilion – a layered glass and steel canopy – frames views of neighbouring historic landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall, from which the station takes its name.

Distinguished by the generosity of its underground volume beneath City Square, the station opens onto an expansive public space framed by a series of tree-like columns. Their branching structures support the canopy above, imbuing the whole environment with a cathedral-like quality. Daylight filters into the space, drawing passengers through the station and creating a sense of drama as they enter and leave.

At platform level, the station is shaped by a ‘trinocular’ structure, where three intersecting tunnels combine to form generous underground spaces with vaulted ceilings rising ten metres above passengers. The exposed concrete celebrates the civil engineering, while precision-engineered elements and bespoke light fixtures introduce colour, rhythm and detail at a human scale.

The "World's Most Beautiful” Achievements recognition, granted by the Prix Versailles, highlights the primary role of the Laureates in beautifying and improving the living environment. 

These achievements, awarded each year by the Prix Versailles, are examples presented to the world, signs of exceptional architecture and design.

Three passenger stations from the 2026 List will also receive the further distinction of a World Title (Prix Versailles, Interior or Exterior), to be awarded at UNESCO Headquarters on 10 December.

Ivan Harbour, Senior Design Director, RSHP commented: “The Metro Tunnel Project brought together an array of skilled and talented individuals, from architects, engineers and construction teams to local artists and craftspeople. 

At Town Hall Station, these collective efforts have created a new civic space within Melbourne’s historic centre, connecting the city’s heritage with contemporary transport infrastructure. We are delighted to see the station recognised on the Prix Versailles list.”

Avtar Lotay, Managing Director, RSHP Australia said: “This recognition for Town Hall Station highlights the role that well-designed transport infrastructure can play in shaping the experience of a city, creating new landmarks, new public spaces, and new ways of experiencing movement, while contributing to sense of place, identity, sustainability, accessibility, and broader city outcomes. 

Architecture has an important role to play in ensuring that infrastructure is not only functional and efficient, but also human, civic, enduring and embedded in the very fabric of city life. The five stations of the Metro Tunnel Project celebrate the character of Melbourne while creating new possibilities for its future.”

Paul Thompson, Associate Director, RSHP said: “The juxtaposition of technical precision with civic generosity creates a sense of drama at Town Hall Station, while revealing and celebrating the civil engineering behind it. Together, these elements make movement through the station feel effortless, while creating a strong line wide connection with the wider Metro Tunnel network.”

Jérôme Gouadain, Prix Versailles Secretary General, introduces this year’s outstanding selection: “Prix Versailles shines a light on the top locations that illustrate how excellence in design has become a driver of progress. In the realm of transport stations, the stakes are high when it comes to creating cultural expressions that are simultaneously beautiful, fashionable and sustainable, that reinforce passenger mobility whilst revitalising local neighbourhoods and that support modernisation whilst showing respect for existing architecture. 

These strategies, with their ability to stimulate exchanges and assert a project’s local roots, remain all too rare on today’s global scene. In succeeding in this endeavour though, the winning travel hubs give us proof that 21st century passenger stations can be the bridges to a more desirable future.”