MAC 02 – Circa Morris-Nunn Architects
Project summary
Mac 02 is the largest of Hobart’s waterfront warehouses but, with the demise of maritime port activity, it had become redundant. With Hobart’s increasing popularity as a cruise liner destination, together with the relocation of the re-provisioning section of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) operations, the decision was made to revitalise the old shed as an arrival building for cruise liner passengers and, in the remaining section, to house AAD’s Central Provedoring Centre for its operations in Antarctica. The shell of the warehouse remained intact, but the shed had all its later accretions removed and a large new opening was made in the western end, in order to give the shed a civic presence as a new waterfront forecourt, which now faces its neighbour, Mac 01. The cruise liner section of the building has become much loved by MONA as a live rock music venue, with an audience capacity of 3000 to 4000 people. To quote one of the international MOFO 2014 musicians, Chris Thirle, “it looks like an aircraft hanger and sounds like a church”.
Construction
Fairbrother – builder
Patrick Stanton – project manager
Consultants
Gandy and Roberts – structural consultant
Gandy and Roberts – civil consultant
CES – electrical/mechanical consultant
CES/Howrah Plumbing – hydraulic consultant
WT Partnership – cost consultant
Tasports – original architect
JP Fire – fire engineer
Midson Traffic – traffic engineer
Peter Whyte – photographer
Peter Angus – building surveyor
Reg Mauderer – AAD representative
Ginny Tan – Tasports representative