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If you catch public transport on the reg, you probably don’t give a second thought to the stations you pass through on your daily commute to work or uni. But the people at Prix Versailles certainly do, and they’ve just unveiled its World’s Most Beautiful Stations list 2026 to celebrate transport hubs that combine striking design with innovation, character and sustainability. Drumroll, please: Melbourne's new Town Hall station has been named as one of their seven most beautiful train stations in the world for 2026.
Yes, our Town Hall station certainly makes an impression. Sitting beneath Swanston Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, the station was designed by Hassell, RSHP and WW+P, with its vast underground spaces giving the daily commute a distinctly grand feel.
The station’s concourse is framed by eight enormous columns inspired by trees, with branching forms supporting the canopy overhead. The result is almost cathedral-like, while coppery vaulted ceilings rise ten metres above the wide platforms, creating a sense of space even though it’s underground.
There’s plenty of art to admire, too. Maree Clarke’s Barerarerungar stretches across the Federation Square entrance to Town Hall, while her Tracks appears along the platforms of all five new Metro Tunnel stations. Over at State Library Station, Danie Mellor’s Forever covers the glass façade. Together, the stations form an underground blend of transport, architecture and public art – and make that daily commute not just bearable but beautiful.
Town Hall Station is in some seriously beautiful company. The other six finalists are Lyon Part-Dieu Station in France, Colosseo – Fori Imperiali Station in Rome, Anish Kapoor’s dramatic subterranean Monte Sant’Angelo Station in Naples, National Museum Station, Western Station in Riyadh that’s inspired by desert dunes and LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.
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