Centrepoint Mall (Melbourne)

Centrepoint Mall

Location	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Address	283-297 Bourke Street
Opening date	9 October 1979 (1979-10-09)
Developer	Maurice Alter Paul Fayman
Owner	Centrepoint Freeholds (1979–88)
Architect	Ray Barnard-Brown
No. of stores and services	100+

Centrepoint Mall is a shopping centre in the Melbourne central business district, Australia. The development was a joint venture between Jewish businessmen Maurice Alter and Paul Fayman, and was officially opened by Premier of Victoria Rupert Hamer on 9 October 1979.

History

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Developer Maurice Alter at Centrepoint Mall site

Background

In the early 1970s, Melbourne-based property investment group Hanover Holdings commenced the strategic acquisition of several adjacent sites in the central business district, with the intention of undertaking a major redevelopment. The company first purchased the Eureka Stockade Hotel at 287–297 Bourke Street, along with the adjacent Mason's Building located behind it on Sugden Place. Over the following two years, Hanover also acquired the neighbouring Berkowitz and Union Building Society buildings, which fronted Little Collins Street. These properties occupied a prominent site between Bourke and Little Collins streets, diagonally opposite the Myer Emporium, one of Melbourne's most important retail landmarks.

Following the acquisitions, the buildings were leased back to their previous owners for a period of up to five years, providing Hanover Holdings with sufficient time to plan and coordinate the proposed redevelopment. In its 1972 annual report, Hanover signalled its intentions for a significant commercial project, noting that the "group of properties occupying some of Melbourne's prime retail area has the potential for re-development on a significant scale at an appropriate time in the future."

Following a major downturn in company profits, Hanover shifted its primary investment focus from commercial to residential development projects. Despite these adjustments, the company was later privatised and eventually dissolved in 1977. However, principal directors Maurice Alter and Paul Fayman retained ownership of the Bourke Street and Little Collins Street properties through a former Hanover subsidiary known as Hanover Freeholds. This entity later evolved into Centrepoint Freeholds, which assumed responsibility for the planning and development of the retail complex that would become Centrepoint Mall.

Design and construction

Plans for the long-anticipated redevelopment were initiated in early 1977, when Centrepoint Freeholds commissioned architect Rainsford "Ray" Barnard-Brown to design a large-scale indoor shopping centre. The proposed $32 million project included more than 70 retail outlets and a pedestrian arcade linking Bourke and Little Collins streets. At the time, it was regarded as the largest and most expensive retail development in Melbourne's central business district in over half a century.

Centrepoint Mall featured a basement-level food court, a large self-service cafeteria on the second level, and several floors of specialty retail stores. Office suites and community facilities were located on the upper levels. Architectural features included a prominent 10-metre illuminated sign above the Bourke Street entrance and a large, Tivoli-style chandelier suspended across three storeys. The chandelier could be raised, lowered, rotated, or dimmed to create various visual effects. In addition, an innovative electronic signboard composed of over 3,000 lightbulbs was installed to broadcast advertisements and international news—marking a first for retail signage in Melbourne..

The development was formally announced in March 1978, and leasing commenced the following month. Major tenants included Qantas and Medibank, both of which relocated their Victorian headquarters to the complex's upper floors.

Opening and reception

Centrepoint Mall was officially opened on 9 October 1979. The ceremony was attended by over 450 guests, including Premier Rupert Hamer, who described the development as "a most attractive major new central business district focal point."

Architect Norman Day publicly criticised Centrepoint's design, claiming that "Everything in the building has been patterned so that there is a definite movement of colour and shape contributing to an architecture of anxiety ... architects Barnard-Brown have made a building out of the dreams and nightmares spawned by television." Architect Peter Axup, who was associated with the Centrepoint project, responded to the bad publicity by publishing an article defending the design.

The centre's reputation suffered in 1981, after a Federal Court judge found that the development company, Centrepoint Freeholds, had contravened the Trade Practises Act by engaging in misleading conduct to induce a tenant to take up shop leases in the mall. In his judgement, Justice Northrop said that the leasing brochure was misleading, claiming: "One of the more striking effects of the mall is the confusion cause by the walkways, both level and sloping, the escalators, stairs and corners. It is easy to become disorientated and confused, and it is easy to become lost as in a maze".

Demise and future

Although the shopping centre was relatively popular when it first opened, patronage began to decline significantly after the nearby Melbourne Central Shopping Centre opened in late 1991, followed by the opening of Emporium Melbourne in 2014. The most severe blow to Centrepoint came during the two years of pandemic lockdowns, which drove shoppers and city workers out of the CBD, leading to a sharp decline in foot traffic—the primary source of income for retailers. In 2022, Centrepoint indicated that a major overhaul of the building was being considered as a future option. As of June 2025, the Centrepoint building remains open, with Priceline Pharmacy occupying most of the original indoor mall area. The remaining areas are closed to the public.