Terms like “world-class” get thrown around a lot. But Mecca’s new Melbourne flagship might actually deserve the label.

After years of anticipation, the Aussie beauty giant’s three-storey Bourke Street store finally opens on Friday. Set inside the 150-year-old heritage-listed Cole’s Book Arcade, it’s even more palatial than you might have imagined from the initial coverage.

It’s not often an opening of this scale comes around. Set over 4000 square metres – an area equal to about 20 tennis courts – it’s the company’s largest location to date, and one of the biggest beauty stores in the world.

Mecca hopes the store will draw beauty shoppers from around the globe, and it’s invested heavily to create an atmosphere reminiscent of iconic British department stores like Liberty London and Selfridges. The company won’t say just how much the build cost, but tens of millions is a reasonable guess.

Step through the main doors and you’re greeted by a shiny fairground carousel – but in place of ride-on animals are playful make-up displays and digital screens. The sheer size of the store means there’s a lot more space to play. Displays capture the DNA and personality of brands, like a towering rose-gold palm tree covered in Hollywood lightbulbs at the Charlotte Tilbury counter and a life-size Boy Brow tube at the Glossier station.

Beyond the scale and services offered (more on that later), it’s the design that stands out – from tessellated tiles and marble finishes to curated art and custom light fixtures. Founder and CEO Jo Horgan began the design process in 2021, working closely with Sydney-based firm Studio McQualter.

The fit-out blends old with new, juxtaposing restored heritage details with contemporary finishes. It feels like a mix of Melbourne laneway grit and New York art deco glamour. Raw concrete columns are wrapped with smooth white marble. Ceilings remain exposed; tiled chequerboard floors nod to old-school food courts; and soft timbers and richly veined marble run throughout. Each section is defined by its own mix of textures, tones and lighting.

Art is another major focus. An eight-metre mural by Amsterdam duo Freeling Waters wraps around a wall. Horgan also enlisted curator and gallerist Charlotte Day to spotlight local and international female artists, with works by Nabilah Nordin, Julie Rrap, Atong Atem, Bethan Laura Wood and others.

Walk through the beauty and skincare section (which also includes a brow and lash bar) and you’ll find Mecca’s debut Apothecary, which focuses on beauty within. Shelves are organised by areas of concern: gut health, sleep and oral care, to name a few. There are new product offerings including teas, tinctures, crystals, supplements, meditation devices, adaptogenic skincare and massage guns from newly stocked brands like Lovebyt, Anatome and Bamford. It’s also where you’ll find a chic counter run by Fitzroy florist Flowers Vassette.

The adjacent wellness space is anchored by a mosaic column by Australian artist Diena Georgetti and mature banyan trees flown from Queensland. It’s also home to standalone business The Melbourne Apothecary, where practitioners offer naturopathy, acupuncture, ear seeding, face mapping and other alternative therapies in several treatment rooms. Out front, a pharmacy counter dispenses even more supplements.

Head up the Le Bon Marche-style scissor escalators to the top floor and into Mecca’s interactive Perfumeria. Grand arched windows nod to classic Parisian parfumeries and add old-world charm. Take a seat at the bar, where you can experience fragrance flights tailored to your scent preferences and a lounge for personalised consultations. At the centre, you’ll find the “scentsorium” featuring Airparfum technology from Spanish brand Puig. Touchscreen monitors and futuristic scent diffuser devices help you navigate fragrance families – aromatic, woody, floral – by letting you sample each with a spray.

On the same level, there’s also an outpost of Richmond nail salon Trophy Wife and the first international salon from Brit Josh Wood, a celebrity hair colourist. Next door, find the beauty atelier where you can get your hair, make-up and nails done together in under 90 minutes. With sculptural side tables, textured draped curtains and plenty of artwork, it feels like a stylish friend’s apartment.

The Mecca cafe adjoins the atelier, channeling retro, Italian-style cafes from the ’90s. Albeit, with a much elevated menu. There’s Pommery champagne, Seven Seeds coffee, Love Tea tea, Mork hot chocolate, Yarra Valley Caviar, Chappy’s chips, Madeleine De Proust madeleines and Lune croissants – the first time the croissanterie has ever sold wholesale.

Specialised skin treatments take place at the Mecca Aesthetica, where dermal therapists and registered nurses offer meso-needling, microdermabrasion, skin lasering, facials, chemical peels and other customised clinical treatments. Get exclusive facial experiences from top international names like Augustinus Bader and Dr Barbara Sturm.

The mezzanine, a new addition to the building, is where you’ll find the store’s personalised gifting hub. Get custom gift wrapping, engraving and calligraphy on anything from lipsticks and perfumes to candles. Gifts are wrapped in packaging featuring artwork by Freeling Waters, exclusive to Bourke Street. Plus, there are one-off gifts like Byredo blankets, Mecca x Slip robes, Comme des Garcons accessories and a line of Mecca merch.

Rounding it all out is the Meccaversity Auditorium, a 200-square-metre space for workshops, talks and other events, due to open in spring.

The ultimate goal is to create a space where people can stay awhile, enjoy themselves and never feel pressured to buy (although they probably will, in this lipstick economy). It’s an all-day experience. If you do lose your way, which is very possible, concierge desks across all three levels are there to help.

Looking back, Mecca has come a long, long way since 1997, when it opened its first store in Toorak. Now, the brand’s global ambitions couldn’t be clearer. And they’ve never looked more achievable.

Mecca Bourke Street opens on Friday August 8 at 9am. Queuing begins at 7am. RSVP here.

Mecca Bourke Street

299 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Hours

Sat to Wed 10am–7pm

Thu & Fri 10am–9pm

mecca.com