Plans for a Wardle-designed commercial development on the edge of Hobart’s CBD are currently being exhibited via the City of Hobart’s major planning applications portal.
The proposal seeks to replace an existing locksmith’s building on a corner lot at 240–244 Murray Street with a new, five-storey building, which includes a flexible ground floor suited to a showroom or hospitality use, complete with end-of-trip facilities, three storeys of commercial office space above, and a fifth-floor roof terrace and meeting room.
According to the architect’s statement, “The building pays homage to Hobart’s history through its design, subtly referencing the Hobart union marches, ensuring the project contributes not only to the economic but also the cultural fabric of the city.”
At the ground floor, the proposal adopts a rhythmic arrangement of concrete “marching columns” that nod to the city’s history of unionisation, which, according to the architect’s statement, originated with craft-based workers in the 1830s and ultimately led to the eight-hour workday that was secured by the city’s stonemasons in 1856. These columns are designed to anchor the corner of the site while giving pedestrians clear sightlines through the glazed ground floor envelope.
Above, a raked form tapers down toward the cluster of heritage red-brick dwellings on the site’s southern side. The proposal’s rippled precast concrete envelope, punctured with shrouded portal windows, draws inspiration from the character of the adjacent streets, along with the forms of protest banners historically displayed during union marches.
At the roof terrace, the design of the building again nods to the city’s waterfront as a gathering point for early union marches, with key openings providing glimpses of the bay along with curated views of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington. On this level, the proposed landscaping aims to integrate Palawa knowledge of Indigenous flora, with native grasses and ground covers, as well as small banksia trees.
The advertised plans can be viewed online until 6 November.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
