Forest Hill Chase, a Sub-Regional shopping centre located east of Melbourne’s CBD, has entered into a bold new era, transforming into a community-first destination that has blended fresh food and dining, with recreation and essential services to offer a true retail and lifestyle hub for customers, retailers and the whole community. Forest Hill Chase was jointly acquired by Haben and JY Group in 2023 and is managed by Haben on behalf of its owners.

The centre is anchored by six major retailers including Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, Target, Harris Scarfe and Hoyts, with 15+ mini majors and more than 150 specialty stores. In 2025, the centre unveiled its Level 1 redevelopment, bringing customers the Market Hall – a revitalised fresh food and food court precinct – as well as modernised centre ambience, new entry statements, car park upgrades and improved navigation.

At the centre’s heart, the Market Hall marks a new chapter in the evolution of a suburban centre that has served its community for over 60 years.

Design vision: Let the tenants bring the colour

Designed by NH Architecture, the revitalised Market Hall reimagines the traditional food court as a vibrant, contemporary gathering place. The design is anchored in a unifying narrative: the living forest. Natural materials, warm timbers, textured finishes and layered greenery establish a cohesive language that reduces visual noise and creates a seamless experience for visitors. Rather than competing with retailers, the architecture provides a calm and consistent backdrop, allowing the colour, personality and individuality of each tenant to come forward.

The timber feature ceiling is the defining feature of the Market Hall. Suspended overhead, it evokes a canopy of branches, articulated through linear battens and softened by integrated warm lighting. The ceiling both unifies the volume and introduces moments of intimacy within the expansive floorplate. Lighting has been carefully calibrated to create warmth and depth, enhancing the material palette and drawing visitors into the space from surrounding mall areas.

Underfoot, a considered flooring pattern reinforces zoning and movement. Variations in tone and texture subtly delineate circulation paths from seating zones. The layering of finishes supports intuitive wayfinding and uninterrupted sightlines, ensuring the space feels open and connected even during peak trading periods.

Furniture approach: Durable, cohesive and considered

Seating is arranged as a series of moments rather than a singular field. Banquettes, communal tables and smaller settings offer inclusive options for individuals, families and larger groups, supporting a variety of dwell times and social interactions. Furniture was selected for durability and performance within a high-traffic retail environment, prioritising robust pieces designed to withstand daily use. A consistent material language including timber and green powder coated pieces reinforces the forest-inspired palette and creates visual cohesion across the Market Hall. Integrated planting softens edges and strengthens the forest narrative, while contributing to a sense of comfort and retreat.

Design guidelines: Rhythm and consistency, visual openness, clear sightlines, celebrate the food on offer

Activation is achieved through the introduction of suspended canopies that define each food and beverage kiosk. These architectural frames provide rhythm and consistency, establishing a clear datum line across tenancies. The canopy design supports a coordinated signage approach, with guidelines developed to ensure clarity, legibility and restraint. Signage is integrated within the canopy zone, allowing tenant branding to shine while maintaining the overarching design language. This disciplined framework reduces clutter and enhances the collective identity of the Market Hall. Haben worked with leading food design firms Studio MKZ, Aydnco, GPR Design, Sandbox and Amanda Studio to create a seamless visual experience.

One of the most important aspects of any food offer is the relationship between the design and the quality of the built form. Each new retail partner engaged shopfitters who could balance the aesthetic ambition for the precinct with practical trading requirements. Boutique operators such as Fitout Bros worked alongside firms such as KSH Shopfitting, Studio Equator and the TriCon Shopfitting to create cohesion. This extended to maximising sight lines to the inline retailing. Melbourne-based fruit and vegetable retailer, Colonial Fresh, is now visible throughout the precinct, with 2M Creative partnering with Haben to elevate the 500m2 retailer as part of the overarching retail strategy.

Repositioning Forest Hill for the future

Beyond the Market Hall, the revitalisation strengthens vertical connections and entry experiences. Material continuity and greenery define escalators and voids, reinforcing visual connection between levels. At the prominent Mahoney’s Road entry, the timber palette extends to the canopy, transforming it into a gesture that signals arrival and activating the threshold. Haben’s Market Hall is conceived as more than a place to eat. It is a contemporary town square – layered, warm and adaptable – where a consistent architectural language enables vibrancy to flourish. Through clarity, cohesion and carefully crafted detail, the Market Hall has re-established Forest Hill Chase as a central meeting point for its community, ready for the next generation.

Looking ahead, Forest Hill Chase’s repositioning will continue, with a broader strategy to evolve the centre to meet the needs of the local community underway. In 2026, a purpose-built basketball complex will open on Level 3 in partnership with the Nunawading Basketball Association. In the coming years, further upgrades to the upper levels are planned to support the centre’s long-term growth.