Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT)
Project summary
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is of national significance; it is one of the oldest museums and art galleries in Australia, and is the primary repository of Tasmanian natural and cultural material collections. The individual buildings are significant in their own right; some are the earliest European structures in Tasmania, including the most intact pre-1850s Bond Store structure in Australia. The buildings themselves are artefacts, as important a part of the TMAG collection as the exhibits within them. Our focus was to work within the unique heritage fabric, enable equitable public access and reveal opportunities within the built fabric, with a particular desire to open areas that were previously inaccessible to the public due to the buildings’ configuration and fragile nature. The contemporary ‘insertions’ drew inspiration from the local artefacts and imagery found within TMAG’s broad collection and were guided by a rigorous understanding of the existing heritage fabric. The resultant interior architecture and joinery are a specific response to the unique quality and intricacies of the heritage fabric. The realised project capitalises on the physically and culturally prominent Hobart site. The high standard of conservation and architectural resolution ensures the buildings’ longevity and contemporary relevance.
Construction
Roots Projects Australia – project manager
VOS Construction – contractor
Consultants
Taylor Thomson Whitting – structural, civil and traffic
Steensen Varming – mechanical, electrical, communications, lighting and lift
Warren Smith & Partners – hydraulic and fire services
Philip Chun – fire, BCA and accessibility
Business Risks International – security
Godden Mackay Logan – archaeology
Groundworks – indigenous
Design 5 – heritage consultant