WESLEY PLACE
Wesley Place was always more than a city block. At its heart stood Wesley Church, a Gothic Revival landmark opened in 1858, ringed by bluestone buildings the congregation could no longer maintain. The challenge was to secure their future while breathing new life into the precinct. Today, three office towers at 130, 140 and 150 Lonsdale Street rise above five sensitively restored ecclesiastical buildings, stitched together with generous green space. But the journey to this outcome was complex and challenging.
RLB was first engaged in 2013 to test options for the Princess Mary Club. This building, constructed by the church in 1926 as accommodation for young women, had closed in 1988 and stood largely unused for decades. Without funds to restore it, the church faced difficult choices. After the site was acquired by Charter Hall, consultation with Heritage Victoria determined the Club’s structure could not be retained. This decision, while hard, unlocked a redevelopment that could fund restoration of Wesley Church and four historic bluestone buildings for new generations of Melburnians to enjoy.
At a glance
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ClientCharter Hall
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ServicesCost Management & Quantity Surveying
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sectorCommercial
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LocationMelbourne, Australia
When every detail counts
RLB’s experience delivering some of Melbourne’s most iconic commercial towers informed our work on Wesley Place. From interrogating constructability at concept stage to monitoring costs through delivery, the project was a jigsaw puzzle of challenges: excavating a basement beside heritage treasures, cantilevering a tower over a 19th-century Manse, or sequencing works on a live CBD site. Each piece demanded foresight, precision and collaboration from RLB’s cost experts.
It’s easy to say this is the best project I’ve worked on – but if it isn’t, it definitely is at the top of my list. To see people enjoying their lunch on the lawns, in a sanctuary just metres from bold and visionary commercial towers, is very rewarding. Charter Hall’s vision and commitment ensured Wesley Place is not just a commercial development, but a cultural landmark.Tony Moleta, Managing Director, RLB
Wesley Place united an extraordinary team: visionary owner (Charter Hall), architect (COX), landscape designers (OCULUS), builder (Lendlease), heritage architect (Lovell Chen), archaeologist and conservationist (Vincent Clark & Associates), experts at Heritage Victoria and the Uniting Church, as well asRLB’s skilled cost managers. At every stage, our role was to test assumptions, forecast costs and give Charter Hall confidence that vision and value could align.
Time etched in stone and steel
Five heritage buildings – the Wesley Church, Manse, School House, Caretaker’s Cottage and Nicholas Hall – were meticulously restored and reimaginedcarly.
A treasure trove of 100,000 artefacts – dressmakers’ pins, slate pencils, chamber pots, Chinese porcelain, even a whale’s tooth – illuminate Melbourne’s colourful gold-rush past.
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110,000sqm
of premium workspace
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7,440sqm
site, 45% urban parkland
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5,500daily
workers accommodated
History in human hands
Nearly half of the 7,440-square-metre site is given back as public space – a rare gift. A sunlit courtyard, shaded lawns, comfortable seating and walkable paths welcome the community in. At the centre of the precinct stands an olive tree, said to have arrived from Jerusalem in 1839. This was carefully uprooted, nurtured offsite for the three year construction period, and then replanted. Today, the tree anchors the green refuge for workers and visitors and acts as a symbol of continuity through change.
Preserving the past, building the future
RLB’s rigorous cost planning enabled Charter Hall to integrate premium commercial towers with some of Melbourne’s most important heritage assets. By balancing technical precision with cultural sensitivity, we helped deliver a precinct that is both a commercial success and a cultural landmark.
Awards and recognition
Winner of Best Heritage and Adaptive Reuse Development at the 2025 Property Council of Australia / Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation & Excellence Awards.
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