Tasmanian firm Artas Architects has drawn up plans for a $60 million cultural centre on the kanamaluka (Tamar River) in Launceston that promises to be a “beacon for performing arts.”
A joint venture between the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and developer Errol Stewart, the kanamaluka Cultural Centre would house a 750-seat concert hall, large flexible spaces for performance and visual arts, a black-box theatre space, a First Nations cultural space and a 1,000-seat conference and exhibition centre.
It would be near Kings Wharf Road and Lindsay Street, overlooking the river, and has been designed as a “light-filled and porous place of culture and gathering.”
The proponents expect to submit a development application this year, and are petitioning for funding from government and private sources. Errol Stewart told local media they would need $40 million from the federal government and $15 million from the state government plus $5 million from private investors or philanthropists.
kanamaluka Cultural Centre by Artas Architects.
The use of the palawa kani name for the river has been approved by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, and the proponents say the development would honour and respect the region’s Aboriginal culture. The cultural centre has been designed as a flexible space for community participation and engagement, bridging generational gaps and making everyone feel welcome.
“We have been working on the concept for the best part of the year and it is beginning to gain momentum,” said Stewart. “If there is a legacy I can leave, it will be to showcase Tasmanian Aboriginal culture with the hope my grandchildren engage and understand how we began.”
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra CEO Caroline Sharpen said the centre would represent the realization of a long-held dream to find a northern home for the orchestra.
“The cultural centre will be a beacon for performing arts from Tasmania and beyond, and a magical addition to the cultural infrastructure of the state,” she said. “It will perfectly complement Launceston’s much loved existing venues and add to the vibrant cultural fabric of the city and region. The cultural centre is a place to gather – a point of connection between the Tasmanian community and its artists, especially First Nations artists.”
Source: Architecture - architectureau
