“We shape our buildings;” Winston Churchill said in 1941, “thereafter they shape us.” His subject may have been about the House of Commons after being badly bombed in the Second World War, but, 80 years on, his words continue to ring true: our built environment is part and parcel of human life – and our buildings impact us physically, mentally and spiritually.

2021 marks 30 years of 101 Collins Street, and with the anniversary comes a fresh perspective on the extent to which our buildings have the power to shape us, informing our behaviour, our emotions and even playing a role in keeping us healthy and productive.

The home to some of the world’s most influential financial and business names, 101 Collins captured, and built upon a moment in time when it was designed in the mid-1980s. Respectfully standing on the land of the Kulin Nation, Denton Corker Marshall’s design became a city landmark after its opening in 1991. At 260 metres, the 57-storey tower was crowned the tallest building in Australia at the time, combining world-class architecture with a vision for something that really set it apart from its competitors – and would stand the test of time.

John Denton, of Denton Corker Marshall explained: “We were always interested in what’s important about the nature of a tower building. What we tried to do was make a simple, clean and elegant building. Our 1985 design combined remarkably flexible floor plates with a timeless architectural expression. 30 years on, it’s still an icon on the Melbourne skyline.” 

The pioneering commercial project of the era, the ambition for 101 was to resemble a luxury hotel more than a typical office. This meant a focus on a concierge experience, an incomparable sense of grandeur and the highest attention to detail. Luxury isn’t just about what we touch and feel, it’s also about the sense of space and place. 

With that intent came skills and materials from all over the world – marble and travertine from Italy and granite from Zimbabwe and Spain. The foyer, with its water pools and 23-carat gold leaf detailing, was designed by New York firm, Johnson Burgee. 

But those details would be nothing without the magic that brings the place alive each and every day: its people. As times have changed and the building has neatly adapted to those progressions, one feature of the address has remained unwavering: it has always hosted the best of the best. Put simply, remarkable tenants are the hallmark of the building. 

From its constantly evolving luxury retail spaces and restaurants to the building’s oldest tenants of all – a hat tip to Credit Suisse, which has graced the building since day one – 101 has lived with customers through their successes and challenges and as they look to the next 30 years. 

In esteemed company are Allens, Goldman Sachs and Gilbert + Tobin, to name a few, who, from their offices, look west to Town Hall, Bourke Street Mall, east towards Fitzroy Gardens and Melbourne Cricket Ground, south towards Fed Square and the Arts Precinct and north to Parliament House and Carlton Gardens. 

Over its 30 years, 101 has witnessed changes that go beyond its walls and sustainability now informs the building and its philosophies as much as prestige and productivity. A carpark has made way for RISE, a state-of-the-art wellness studio and, with a 6-star NABERS indoor environment rating, sanitised spaces and purified air are a priority. An on-site parenting centre sits alongside end-of-trip facilities and a contactless delivery lounge. With 2021 comes a focus on a hybrid, connected, healthy workplace, aligning to the evolution of future workplace standards and experiences, showing 101’s commitment to the constant reimagining of its place as Melbourne’s business heart.

The building’s neighbourhood has always helped bring new energy to its fabric – lively streets, intimate boutiques, heritage architecture and laneways that sing with world-class food and live music. And, in a time of hibernation prompted by COVID-19, we look forward to a future of reinvigorated arts, culture, food and friendship.

Architect Frank Gehry said that architecture should yearn for timelessness. Sitting a stone’s throw from the Flinders Street Station clock tower, 101 Collins is indeed a timeless anchor of what the city stands for. Today, 101 is more than a building. It is a community, a culture, and a steadfast corporate icon in the garden city.