Inside LANDMARK by Lexus
Lexus unveils a New Dawn: Inside LANDMARK by Lexus
LANDMARK by Lexus returns as the centrepiece of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, unveiling three levels of extraordinary hospitality, immersive experiences and contemporary luxury inspired by this year's creative theme, A New Dawn.
LANDMARK by Lexus will be transformed for the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Carnival, with the three-level pavilion drenched in yellow from top to bottom and filled with Australian-grown flowers.
Central to the transformation is Melbourne interior design studio Hecker Guthrie and father-and-daughter florists Joost Bakker and Ruby Bakker of Bakker Flowers.
Lexus Australia Chief Executive Jack Hobbs said Hecker Guthrie and Bakker Flowers were chosen for their ability to create work that feels both timeless and entirely of the moment.
"What drew us to Hecker Guthrie and Bakker Flowers wasn't just the quality of their work. It was the way they approach it.
“Both have built a reputation over many years, yet neither is content to stand still. They continue to refine, reimagine and push their craft forward, while drawing on knowledge and experience passed from one generation to the next.
“That balance between heritage and progress feels particularly aligned to Lexus, and it's something guests will experience firsthand throughout LANDMARK," said Mr Hobbs.
Drawing inspiration from Akebono, the Japanese word for the first light before sunrise, A New Dawn is brought to life through a colour palette centred around Golden Ash, the bespoke wall finish used throughout the pavilion. Rich amber and gold tones on the lower levels gradually transition to soft washes of lemon above, creating the impression of a space illuminated by the rising sun.
"We wanted the colour to graduate from darker to lighter as you move up, lightening the space as you get closer to the sky," says Hecker Guthrie Director, Stacey Van Harn.
"Colour drenching always has impact, straight away," says co-founder Paul Hecker. "Then it came down to the furniture selections, and to briefing the florists on something quite extraordinary - explosions of flowers, but only in yellow."
Extending the design narrative beyond the palette itself, guests will discover sculptural islands of furniture inspired by Kigumi, the traditional Japanese art of joining timber without nails, alongside oversized timber frames and coloured and frosted glass that captures the changing light throughout the day. A spectrum of flowers will thread through every level, revealing themselves as guests move through the space.
For the Hecker Guthrie team, the project brings three generations of the studio together. That includes founders Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie, directors Stacey Van Harn and Kymberley Gim, and the practice's emerging designers.
"There's a new dawn of Hecker Guthrie sitting inside this project as well," Van Harn says.
The same is true for Bakker Flowers. Ruby Bakker took on her father's weekly clients two years ago, and the pair still work side by side on major projects like LANDMARK by Lexus.
"I carried on the love of flowers from my dad, so it's a joy to see Ruby appreciate the same things," Joost Bakker says. "She's putting a whole new perspective on floral arranging and making it her own."
Every bloom will be Australian-grown and hand-picked, many from the family's biodynamic farm in Monbulk and from neighbouring growers in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Some blossom has been held in cool rooms for months so it flowers in time for the Carnival. There will be no floral foam, imported flowers or single-use materials. Even the vases are being hand-dipped in Australian beeswax by Ruby's sister, Charlie, to match the pavilion's palette.
"Working with local and self-grown materials means you're immediately connected to the seasons," Ruby says. "It really makes you think outside the box."
Bakker Flowers has built its arrangements in dialogue with the vessels and structures Hecker Guthrie designed for the space. Among the details guests will discover is a run of slim tubular lights suspended above matching vases, each holding a single illuminated flower.
"Floral, for us, has become the art within the space rather than an accessory - the sculpture, not the styling," Hecker says.
The same level of intention can be found throughout the pavilion. Beyond its palette, furniture and floral installations, LANDMARK by Lexus has been conceived with longevity in mind, embracing restoration, repurposing and reuse as part of a more considered expression of luxury.
Recovered furnishings have been carefully restored and reimagined within the space, while bespoke timber tables have been designed for ongoing use long after the Carnival concludes.
Asked what he hopes guests take away from the experience; Hecker simply replied: "Optimism. Joy."
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