Bass Strait Maritime Centre – JAWSARCHITECTS
Project summary
The Devonport Maritime Museum has long been an important cultural asset for the city, housed in a heritage-listed building that was originally the Harbour Master’s residence. The new interpretation wing provides additional display space and storage, enabling the many stories of Bass Strait to be told in a space designed to meet contemporary curatorial standards. The fluid form of the building draws in visitors through a glass aperture, the timber cladding helping to evoke the experience of entering a shipwrecked hull and forming part of the interpretation narrative. The light-filled entry zone contains ticketing, retail facilities and a small kiosk and seating area. The external deck provides views of the museum and signal station and, beyond, to the Mersey River and Bass Strait. The building opens up to provide a darkened, flexible display space, able to be configured for various formats, while adjacent workspaces are positioned to access ample natural light. A glazed link delineates the transition from new to old, with conservation works undertaken to reinstate the original roofline and the integrity of spaces within the original museum. The distinct form provides a strong vehicle for re-branding the museum, strengthening its position as a cultural tourism destination.
Construction
Fairbrother – builder
Consultants
Aldanmark – structural consultant
Hansen Partnership – landscape consultant
SEMF – services consultant
WT Partnership – cost consultant
Graeme Corney – heritage consultant
pitt&sherry – building surveyor
Jaffa Design – interpretation design and fabrication