Anzac Station
Melbourne VIC
Australia
2025
Overview
Anzac Station is a train and tram interchange delivered as one of five new underground stations forming part of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project. The station features a glulam diagrid canopy spanning approximately 84 metres in length and 20 metres in width. The structure is supported by 16-metre steel columns and incorporates 12 skylights along its central spine.
Timber introduces a natural warmth to the station canopy, complementing the skylights and “open metro” philosophy which emphasises natural light, weather protection, and a generous sense of openness.
The station’s biophilic design approach - incorporating natural materials and daylight to connect people to nature within the built environment - is expressed through use of exposed timber and skylights. This creates a visual connection to the neighbouring Shrine of Remembrance and surrounding parklands, reinforcing the station’s relationship with Melbourne’s established public landscape.
Project team
Structure
The defining structural element of the station is its large-scale glulam diagrid canopy, a stunning example of how engineered timber can be used in major transport infrastructure. Rather than relying on conventional repetitive framing, the diagrid geometry is both a structurally efficient form and an architecturally intriguing design.
The canopy is supported by circular steel columns that rise from within the underground station itself, allowing the timber roof to sit above the interchange with minimal visual obstruction at ground level. This hybrid steel–timber solution combines the compressive capacity of steel with the lightweight and low-carbon benefits of mass timber.
Exterior
Externally, the canopy gives the station a highly distinctive visual identity, setting it apart from conventional transport infrastructure. The exposed timber soffit provides warmth, softening what would otherwise be a highly engineered transport interchange. Its long horizontal profile gives the station a strong visual presence.
Positioned along the canopy spine, 12 skylights draw daylight into the station, enhancing the sense of connection between the station and adjacent Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance.