L'OCCITANE Retail Defit

Melbourne Defit Company recently completed a full-scale defit of a 4,000m² warehouse in Braeside. The project involved:

Melbourne Defits was engaged to complete the full commercial defit and retail strip out of the L'OCCITANE boutique located at 280 Collins Street, Melbourne. Situated within one of Melbourne's iconic heritage-listed buildings, this project required careful planning and execution to protect the building's original architectural features while delivering a complete end-of-lease defit.

Working closely with building management, our team completed the project safely and efficiently, ensuring all demolition and strip out works complied with strict heritage building requirements and centre management procedures.

Scope of Works

The project involved the complete removal of the retail tenancy on the ground floor while preserving key heritage elements of the building. Our experienced retail defit team completed the following works:

• Removal of all retail fixtures and fittings
• Removal of wall-mounted display units
• Removal of the central display island and feature canopy
• Removal of wall cladding throughout the tenancy
• Careful removal of floor tiles
• Removal of illuminated signage and branding
• Plumbing and electrical services disconnected, capped and made safe
• Removal of all remaining L'OCCITANE fit-out materials and loose items

One of the most specialised aspects of the project involved carefully removing the decorative stone cladding from two structural columns adjacent to the arcade entrance. Each individual stone was numbered and exposed to preserve the integrity of the heritage structure and allow for future reinstatement.

Working Within a Heritage Listed Building

Completing demolition and strip out works inside a heritage-listed Melbourne CBD building requires a high level of care and experience. A significant challenge on this project was protecting the building's original ceiling mural throughout the demolition process.

Our team implemented strict dust suppression measures and controlled demolition techniques to ensure the artwork remained fully protected. Building management temporarily isolated the ceiling protection sensors during the works, allowing the project to proceed safely without compromising the building's heritage features.