Finishing touches for Anzac Station canopy

The eye-catching canopy of the Metro Tunnel’s new Anzac Station is nearly complete, with the final key architectural feature installed.

Fourteen skylights have been recently fitted as crews apply the finishing touches to what will be the centrepiece of Melbourne’s first direct train-tram interchange.

The skylights run down the centre of the 85-metre-long canopy and have been designed to help direct natural light down into the station concourse, which sits 17 metres below.

The open design and use of clear glazing not only allows natural light in, but also ensures views across St Kilda Rd towards the Shrine of Remembrance are maintained.

The canopy will provide weather protection for the interchange between tram and train passengers at what will be the new station’s busiest entrance.

Work on the canopy started earlier this year when 12 massive green steel columns and 13 curved timber rafters were craned into the site.

The canopy has been designed to complement the nearby green parkland of the Royal Botanic Gardens and tree-lined St Kilda Rd.

When Anzac Station is finished, the area will be a heavily patronised transport hub, with the Metro Tunnel cutting the daily commute to and from St Kilda Rd by up to 50 minutes – providing turn-up-and-go services on the doorstep of the CBD, and eventually direct services to Melbourne Airport.

The fully accessible tram super-stop will sit in the middle of the road, connecting passengers to the underground station below.

From the end of November, St Kilda Rd’s tram tracks will be realigned for the final time over the station, after being twice realigned already as part of the construction plan that allowed the station to be built underground while traffic and trams continued using the road above.

When Anzac Station opens to passengers in 2025, it will provide an overdue train connection to iconic Melbourne destinations including the Shrine of Remembrance, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park and reduce travel times to the St Kilda Rd employment precinct. 

The station will be used by about 40,000 people a day and relieve pressure on tram services on St Kilda Rd – the world’s busiest tram corridor. •