Town Hall Station wins Public Design category at 2026 Australian Interior Design Awards
15 June 2026
Town Hall Station has won the Public Design category at this year's Australian Interior Design Awards.
The Metro Tunnel station interiors were designed to create world-class public transport environments that celebrate engineering excellence, wellbeing and a strong civic identity. Across both box and cavern station typologies, the interiors are united through a consistent architectural language.
Exposed concrete celebrates the scale and authenticity of the civil works, while precision-engineered ribs, baffles and bespoke lighting bring rhythm, clarity and human scale to these expansive spaces. Town Hall Station anchors the city’s civic and commercial core with three entrances within the CBD; City Square, Federation Square and Swanson Street.
Interiors reflect a unified, line-wide strategy across all five stations, delivering a vibrant underground interchange that strengthens urban connectivity and establishes a new civic landmark in the CBD.
The jury commented: “The Metro Tunnel Project – Town Hall Station is a highly resolved set of connected spaces for public circulation egress, featuring a unique and clearly modern industrial aesthetic. It is well developed and detailed in all of its components and materiality and will stand the test of time, gloriously celebrating Melbourne’s Metro within a significant civic space. The jury commended this project for being an outstanding achievement in public interior design at such a huge scale, with incredible expression through both architecture and interior design.
They agreed that its beautifully detailed elements and wonderful use of colour no doubt make it a wonderful space to inhabit.”
Anzac Station was also commended within the Urban Design category. The station serves the Shrine of Remembrance precinct with three entrances within Domain Parklands including a central timber canopy that forms the principal entry, providing weather protection and drawing natural light into generous concourse spaces. Interiors reflect the unified, line-wide strategy across all five stations.
The design for Melbourne Metro's five new underground stations is the result of a world-class collaboration between RSHP, Hassell, and WW+P Architects.
