BACKGROUND
MECCA’s Bourke Street flagship store has redefined beauty retail in Australia, becoming the largest beauty retail destination in the Southern Hemisphere. Spanning over 4,000 sqm across three premium levels, the project transformed a historic building that once housed the famous E.W. Cole’s Book Arcade, a cultural icon of Melbourne’s retail history.
The development required sensitive navigation of Heritage Victoria approvals to preserve the building’s historic fabric and structural integrity, while delivering MECCA’s vision for a world-class retail environment. This ambitious transformation integrated complex service requirements, premium multi-level fitout works, and high-end finishes, all within a highly constrained and operational CBD location.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Provided end-to-end Project Management and Superintendent services, as well as secondment support to MECCA’s internal team. Our role encompassed management of:
- Heritage and Authority Approvals: Managed complex approvals with Heritage Victoria, Melbourne City Council, Yarra Trams, and the building surveyor.
- Contract and Variation Management: Administered a construction only contract alongside an evolving design scope, assessing, negotiating, and closing out over 300 contractor variations through a rigorous change control process to protect budget and program outcomes.
- Fast-Tracked Procurement and Sequencing: Procured long-lead items such as specialist lighting and joinery ahead of final design sign-off to meet program milestones.