Port Melbourne Secondary College: Australia's First Vertical School Opens in Fishermans Bend

Designed by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP), Port Melbourne Secondary College (PMSC) is the first vertical school within Fishermans Bend, described as Australia's largest urban renewal project. The school sits in a district dedicated to advanced technology, innovation and education, where roughly 80,000 people are expected to live, work and study over the next 30 years. Completed in 2022, the project was curated by Miwa Negoro and photographed by Diana Snape. It falls under the categories of Educational Architecture and Secondary School. The design team included landscape architect Tract, builder Hutchinson Builders, structural and civil engineer WSP, building surveyor Philip Chun, and education specialist New Learning Environment. BLP served as principal architect. The development gives Port Melbourne a forward-looking learning hub for students and the local community, who gain access to the library, gymnasium, and food technology and art spaces outside school hours. The project was submitted by the design team.