HOBART WATERFRONT REVITALISED
16 Aug 2018
The city of Hobart could soon feature an exciting new waterfront precinct on the site of the old CSIRO HQ, which aims to engage the local and tourist community through the construction of a public swimming pool, maritime museum and market complex.
A concept design for the project has been proposed by Cumulus Studio, with the precinct to lie along the River Derwent, as a suggestion of how to revitalise the Castray Esplanade district, currently run by the CSIRO who will be relocating in the future. It was revealed at a tourism conference that was hosted by Destination Southern Tasmania and Tourism Tasmania.
In the proposal, the Maritime Museum of Tasmania would be relocated to the new location, assisting in the transformation of the Princes Wharf 1. The wharf will be rejuventated into a covered market that will operate throughout the year. The pool will lie along the river, taking inspiration from the Allas Sea Pool in Helsinki, Studio Octopi’s floating pool on the Yarra River in Melbourne, and the Thames in London.
A series of proposals were developed for the site by Cumulus Studio, which will “Encourage Tasmanians to start thinking about the proposed relocation of CSIRO and the extension of the Salamanca esplanade”, according to Peter Walker, director and principal architect of the studio.
“Opening this site to the people of Tasmania presents a ground-breaking opportunity to reshape our waterfront, our city and our state,” Walker continued. “By embracing our maritime history, world-class produce, cultural identity and visitor economy, we can create uniquely Tasmanian infrastructure that enhances our global brand.”