The City of Hobart has approved plans to restore and redevelop the former headquarters of Forestry Tasmania in the central city, transforming it into an learning hub for the University of Tasmamina
Woods Bagot were engaged by the university for the project, with a development proposal submitted to council in December 2021..
UTAS vice-chancellor Rufus Black welcomed the approval and said the project will enable more educational opportunities for Tasmanians.
The heritage-listed building on Melville Street comprises two original 1930s warehouses with a 22-metre-diametre glass dome designed by Circa Morris-Nunn Chua Architects in 1997. That restoration project received the RAIA Tasmania Recycled Buildings Award in 1998.
The glass dome was added by architect Robert Morris-Nunn in the 1990s during his restoration.
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Woods Bagot
The dome, made from 16 segments of curved laminated Tasmanian oak beams with faceted glass cladding, was designed to create a microclimate of the Tasmanian rainforest for the plants in the atrium beneath.
“The former forestry building is a beautiful and important piece of Hobart architecture, and we are proud to be restoring it and giving it a new life helping Tasmanians unlock the power of education,” Black said.
The original plantings were removed in 2018, after the building was vacated by Forestry Tasmania, and Woods Bagot plans to reinstate the urban forest during the restoration.
The revitalized building will host the College of Business Economics and the Law School, as well as administrative offices.
The project is part of the University of Tasmania’s Southern Campus Transformation, relocating its premises from Sandy Bay to central Hobart. Work is expected to commence before the end of the year.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
