Brightening up the Chapel Street precinct
Published on 14 October 2025
If you’ve wandered through the Chapel Street precinct lately, you may have noticed some vibrant new additions. From a bold new mural on Greville Street to a colourful 108-metre hoarding along Chapel Street, two very different approaches to public art are helping brighten up the precinct - one mural at a time.
Greville Street mural
Through Council’s Frameworks program, which commissions site-specific public art to inspire, connect and beautify, Greville Street has welcomed a new mural. The previous artwork, created by Esther Olsson, became a much-loved local feature and remained in place for a record seven years. In September, it made way for a striking new mural by Hoffy- a Melbourne-based artist known for bold, playful and abstract forms inspired by nature and everyday life.
Chapel St Paint Jam
Just a stone’s throw up the road, a very different creative process unfolded. Spotlight Property, owners of 402 Chapel Street, partnered with local urban art agency Mamam and local artist Juzpop to host the Chapel St Paint Jam – a community event where 18 Southside-based artists transformed a 108‑metre‑long stretch of construction hoarding into a diverse celebration of painting styles and skills.
Unlike commissioned works, a Paint Jam has no set theme or brief - artists simply show up and create in the moment. Locals were excited to watch the transformation live, with many commenting on how the activation brought life and colour to the space. Having private owners and developers like Spotlight Property instigating public art and creating opportunities like this has a hugely positive impact on the precinct and presents a real opportunity for others to follow suit.
How art makes us feel safer
Mayor Melina Sehr explains that it’s about more than just making an area look nice.
“It looks amazing and it’s a fantastic platform for local artists, but art like this also plays a critical role in the creation of safe public spaces, which is particularly important in the Chapel Street precinct. It’s all down to a methodology called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design [CPTED].
“According to CPTED principles, art in public places gives the impression an area is cared for, and that therefore there are eyes on it. As we know, crime is much less likely to happen in broad daylight when spaces are open or monitored by passersby. The added benefit to art is not only that the area is positively activated, it attracts more people into a space and encourages them to spend time there.”
A precinct coming back to life
The positive evolution of Chapel Street is not going to happen overnight, but art and activation form an important part of the holistic plan to get there. Together, these two projects showcase the diversity of public art, structured and free-form, and how each contributes to a safer, more vibrant precinct.
Read more about the Chapel Street Precinct Improvement Plan.