Melbourne Shopping

  1. Melbourne Central

    This shopping centre complex (with 300 stores, a cinema complex, bars and eateries) subsumed a number of Melbourne's arcades and alleyways when it was built, as well as a lead shot tower dating from 1889. The old brick chimney props incongruously beneath a great glass pyramid, a staid structure in a fast-moving retail environment.

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  2. Qv

    Taking up a whole city block, this development is on the site of the old Queen Victoria Women's Hospital. It's a medley of apartments, commercial and retail space designed by three different architects to give the impression that the block was built up over time. It's like a parody of the city, with artificial laneways and arcades. The complex's retail residents comprise supermarkets and food stores (including Max Brenner, for those with a serious chocolate addiction), hairdressers and some of the city's finest boutique stores.

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