How Renew Adelaide brought long-term, commercial impact to a city office block
Written by Renew Adelaide
A stunning example of 1920s architecture, the eight-storey Edments Building is located on the bustling corner of Rundle Mall and Gawler Place.
In 2025, Renew Adelaide introduced an exciting cluster of new creative, cultural and commercial tenants to the building. This included an alternative slow fashion boutique, an independent theatre company and a research institute, bolstering the building’s reputation as a hub for niche, emerging business concepts.
Office buildings present an exciting opportunity for businesses and city visitors alike. Successful activation examples like Melbourne’s Nicholas Building show the potential for transforming a city office block into a buzzing arts and retail precinct – not just a place for people to work away quietly at their desks, but a place that welcomes the public in to shop and discover.
With vacant offices and studios on several levels, the Edments Building offered a similar opportunity to challenge traditional office block usage and activate beyond the ground floor. When we think about activation, we consider all levels. There is equal potential in a prominent ground-level retail or hospitality tenancy, an underutilised basement or a sixth-floor office.
From a visitation perspective, this approach encourages city visitors to look up and explore. Meanwhile, increasing office and studio-based tenants helps to retain workers in the CBD, boosting the city’s economy and combating the decline in foot traffic caused by flexible working arrangements.
Between June and September 2025, five new concepts were introduced to the building by Renew Adelaide. Four began on a 6-month initial fixed-term licence, while one started directly on a commercial lease:
– From Me 2 U, an alternative fashion boutique and design studio
– Theatre Republic, an independent theatre company office and script workshopping hub
– McKell Institute, a nationally recognised think tank that advocates for progressive policy reform and social impact
– The Good Trouble Group, a consultancy firm supporting governments and purpose-led organisations to develop culture, strategy, and leadership
– CYBR, a start-up cyber security consultancy
This is a great example of “clustering” – when several new businesses are introduced to a precinct simultaneously. Clustering maximises impact and vibrancy, while creating a sense of community that leads to collaboration.
In addition to growing precinct culture, our work in the Edments Building shows how the Renew Adelaide program presents a pathway from short-term activation to long-term commercial leasing outcomes. The project resulted in strong tenant retention, with 4 of the 5 new ventures transitioning onto commercial leases. Additionally, Diamond trader and Renew Adelaide program graduates Le Maz and Biomorphik have been operating from the building since 2018.
The new Renew Adelaide-supported ventures quickly strengthened visitation and activity within the building outside of traditional office opening hours. From Me 2 U continues to host clothing retail and collection launch events on weekends, having expanded the business into a second suite. Meanwhile, Theatre Republic offers workshops and space for writers to collaborate.
In collaboration with Renew Adelaide, the Edments Building is leading the way for creative use of office tenancies in the city. With CBD office vacancy on the rise (as at time of publication in February 2026), it’s vital that we continue to activate these precincts with concepts that boost the economy, drive visitation and encourage exploration of the city. Sometimes, all people need is a warm invitation to do so.