Tucked into a southern pocket of Royal Park, opposite the Royal Children’s Hospital, this compact brick substation powers a critical stretch of Parkville’s tram network — and does so with quiet confidence. This project is part of a number of new, architecturally designed substations by Breathe Architecture being added to Melbourne’s tram network.

Delivered for Yarra Trams and The Department of Transport and Planning, the building houses electrical infrastructure, along with a driver amenities area including a kitchenette and bathroom facilities.

We set out to design a building that felt like it had always been there.

Inspired by Melbourne’s proud history of infrastructure buildings — robust, honest, detailed, and almost always brick — we looked to historical references, particularly from the Art Deco era, and reinterpreted them through a contemporary lens.

The result is a lozenge-shaped form, defined by expressive bands of brickwork in two complementary tones. The carbon neutral bricks — sourced from Brickworks and made locally in Victoria — added a layer of environmental integrity to a material already rich with meaning.

Context mattered. Much of Parkville’s architectural character leans heavily on Art Deco influences, and this building responds in kind — from its rounded geometry to the bold, era-evoking signage that proudly marks the site: Royal Park.

A bike repair station offers something back to the public — recognising the project’s position along the busy Flemington Road bike path — while new landscaping to the north reintroduces native flora to the park’s edge.

Parkville Substation may be small, but it stands tall — part utility, part civic gesture, and all about place.