Sweeping arches, skylights, a floating timber canopy:

More design details have been released for Melbourne's Metro Rail project - above and below ground - as the preferred bidder was announced for the $11 billion project.

Construction giant Lendlease, which missed out on building the dumped East West Link, will now get a $6 billion slice of the massive construction project.

A consortium called the Cross Yarra Partnership, led by Lendlease and comprising John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital, has won the bid and will now negotiate a final contract with the state government.