The University of Melbourne’s innovation precinct, Melbourne Connect, opened its doors in early 2021. Located on the unceded ancestral lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, the new complex aims to bring together research, industry, government and community through a series of three interconnected buildings clustered around a central courtyard, Womin-djerring (“come together”).
The precinct’s largest tower, which brackets the Grattan Street and Swanston Street corner of the site, houses the Science Gallery Melbourne (part of the Global Science Gallery Network) and the Telstra Creator Space (an accessible fabrication lab) at ground level. The upper floors are occupied by the university’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology offices and hubs, research centres and labs, and also provides spaces for startups and industry partners.
To the north, beside the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, a mass timber building contains early learning and childcare facilities on the
