Goods Shed is ready and waiting

Pearson Group Australia is set to move into the newly-refurbished Goods Shed South at 707 Collins St this month.

The refurbishment of the shed is part of Walker Corporation’s $1.3 billion Collins Square development.

Collins Square project manager Michael Spence said Walker had tried to retain as many original features of the historic goods shed as possible.

Heritage features include iron columns, exposed trusses, brickwork and the ceiling frame, which supports hanging light fixtures. The wooden panels on the ceiling of the building are also original.

Mr Spence said when refurbishment started the panels were covered with layers of soot from the trains that came through the shed.

Rather than using paint strippers or chemicals to remove the soot, Mr Spence said they used high-pressure hoses so that the original colour of the wood could be restored.

The Goods Shed South is reminiscent of the Goods Shed North, which is home to Places Victoria.

Glass panels in the ceiling allow plenty of natural light to flood the open-plan office space.

“Architecture can be very polarising but everyone we’ve taken through so far has loved it,” Mr Spence said.

The next phase of the Collins Square development is the unique Lantern building, which is the entrance point to the Goods Shed South from Collins St, and which is currently under construction.

It is expected the building will be completed by December. At this stage there is no tenant for the Lantern building.