Location: Melbourne International Airport, Tullamarine, Victoria, Australia.

Architect: COX Architecture.

Melbourne Jet Base is a 24-hour facility in the Fixed Base of Operations airline industry internationally that provides a luxury facility to meet the specific needs of clientele in the private jet market. It provides uninterrupted access to full-length runways enabling the arrival and departure of aircraft at any time of day and prioritises in-house customs and immigration screening. The design team sought to create a uniquely Australian place for travellers familiar with the often place-less atmosphere of international airline terminals and turned to the country’s distinctive central desert landscape for inspiration. The project palette distinguishes between a foundational base plane and sculptural forms located throughout the terminal. Melbourne Jet Base’s architectural expression is defined by its elegant and iconic wing form, articulated using aviation-inspired materiality and a play on the poetic tension of earth and sky.

It showcases a historic DC3 aircraft and is designed to service the airline industry, offering two hangars with ancillary ground support spaces, pilot support areas, function areas and boardroom and meeting spaces. The design team prioritised the facility’s capacity to operate flexibly by optimising its physical and functional adaptability, and a range of different ‘event’ spaces are incorporated into the primary layout and operation. The facility is designed to function as a full convention centre, featuring purpose-specific rigging and fit out including a comprehensive audio-visual and information technology suite.