The Hedberg

Hedberg exterior
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Hedberg cultural and creative industries precinct incorporates creative studies at the University of Tasmania and Australia's oldest working theatre, the Theatre Royal.

The Hedberg no shopping bag
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Hedberg from the corner of Campbell and Collins St, Hobart. The opalescence of the exterior shimmers, reflects and sparkles, building anticipation and excitement for what is to be revealed inside.

hedberg liminal cladding sky
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Tasmanian sky accentuates the rhythm of the folded 'curtains' that cloak the facade of The Hedberg.

hedberg liminal cladding
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Hedberg's folded 'curtains' partially reveal the warmth of the activities inside.

Hedberg entry foyer
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The main entry foyer featuring salvaged bricks and materials found on site that tell the story of the site's evolution over time.

Hedberg studio theatre
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Studio Theatre, a new performance venue for the Theatre Royal.

Hedberg foyer levels
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The main atrium space and cascading foyers connect each level of the Theatre Royal. Historical timelines extend beyond the site’s colonial heritage and acknowledge the ancient history of the Tasmanian traditional owners, the palawa. The public foyers represent the heart of the gathering space where stories, celebrations, gathering and exchange take place. The carpet design spread across three levels, acknowledges fire as the original, natural place of theatre around which stories, cultural exchange and knowledge-sharing took place. A place of ceremony and the merging of ancient traditions with modern innovations.

Hedberg old and new facades
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

One of the foyer spaces and the atrium that links the old with the new. Tasmanian Blackwood veneer ceiling adds warmth to the three levels of foyers.

Hedberg salon
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Salon, one of the main rehearsal and performance spaces for the University of Tasmania.

Hedberg recording studio
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The recording suites provide world-class recording capabilities.

Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

In the Recording Suite, CLT offcuts are expressed as the principal visual and acoustic finish. The design is influenced by minimalist notation and fluidity of sound and stems from its function.

Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

With a workshop-type theme, inspired from the site’s garage history, raw, unprecious materials have been used for the creative laboratory which includes student hubs, creative workshops and circulation spaces where research and creative play take place.

Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

In contrast to the workshop-type student spaces, the conceptual approach to the practice and rehearsal spaces drew upon a more meditative, calm environment in its execution, gesturing towards discipline and repetition. The purity of a blank musical canvas and contemporary notation influenced the approach to the interiors including acoustic treatment.

Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

Roof decks provide chill-out spaces, capture expansive views, while being ready to be activated for events.

Hedberg rooftop
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

One of the rooftop garden spaces, offering views to the Hobart waterfront and Derwent River.

Hedberg garage facade
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The new Hedberg provides a backdrop framing the conserved facade of the historic Hedberg Garage, the namesake of the precinct.

hedberg_liminal_artefacts
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The heritage strategy interweaves interpretive layers into the built fabric as salvaged materials and archaeological fragments onsite are exposed, reused, integrated into floor finishes to trace footprints of the past or presented as sculptural forms in wall panels to reflect stories within stories. The conservation, reuse, interpretation and revelation of artefacts and materials found on site, reduces the carbon footprint while deepening understanding of place.

Hedberg chillida form
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The concept of stories within stories, projects within projects is central to The Hedberg. The idea of interlocking takes material inspiration from Eduardo Chillida’s sculptural works and drawings. Salvaged materials found on site become part of the contemporary evolution of the site. Here the recycled items become objects d'art, connecting past to present.

hedberg corner night
Photographer: Natasha Mulhall

The Hedberg at dusk, from the corner of Campbell and Collins St, Hobart.

The Hedberg was officially opened on 9 August 2021.

Read about the opening of The Hedberg here.

Watch the official opening event of The Hedberg here.

Watch moments from The Hedberg evening event celebrations here.

Read about The Hedberg as featured in:

Architecture Australia

Architecture Australia

Architecture and Design

Australian Design Review

To watch the Tasmanian Architecture Awards and media coverage on winning the top awards for Public Architecture, Interior Architecture, Heritage and Urban Design, plus the honour of the Tasmanian Architectural Medal, click the links below:

Tasmanian Architecture Awards via YouTube (Urban Design Award: 37:47mins, Heritage Award: 49:30mins, Interior Architecture Award 57:52mins, Public Architecture Award 1:28:30, Tasmanian Architectural Medal 1:37:49)

Read the Tasmanian Architecture Awards Jury Citations here

View The Hedberg on World Music Day here

Watch the 2022 INDE Awards via YouTube (The Learning Space Award announcement: 41:49mins)

Located in the heart of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, The Hedberg vision is to present a culturally significant creative arts destination that fuels Tasmania’s cultural offering in a global and contemporary context.

In 2013, LIMINAL Architecture partnered with Singaporean architects WOHA to deliver this $117 million culturally significant building.

Co-located with the oldest operating theatre in Australia, the Theatre Royal, this development includes a thriving music and performance hub, a world-class recital hall, studio theatre and salon, front and back of house support spaces, integration of the two-storey and historically significant Hedberg Garage and universal access to all levels of the Theatre Royal for the first time. The building incorporates cutting edge digital and new media technologies that facilitate local and global exchange.

The design strategy balances the theatrics of the building’s purpose and sensitivity to its urban context and heritage precinct. Physical and virtual portals are employed to heighten interconnectivity of place, people and new technologies. The building form is pushed and pulled to address the rhythm and scale of the precinct. Its expression evokes a sense of the theatrical activities that take place inside and is influenced by the minimalist and dancing forms found in contemporary music notation.

In the site’s evolution, The Hedberg development adds a contemporary layer that ensures the heritage buildings that neighbour and co-exist on the site, experience longevity through adaptive use. The heritage strategy interweaves interpretive layers into the built fabric, deepening understanding of place with a response that contributes to the continued evolution of the site through conservation, reuse, interpretation and revelation.

Material selection and the push-and-pull of the building form address the urban context as well as evoking a sense of the activities that take place inside. The use of glass both connects and separates the new and the old, integrating the front section of the heritage Hedberg Garage. Another example, is the external skin of the building, which evokes a shimmering and sparkling theatrical curtain being pulled open to reveal the warmth of the activities within.

The story of place and interconnectivity is continued at the smaller scale with design elements inspired by Eduardo Chillida’s interlocking sculptures, the opalescence of the Tasmanian abalone shell and the minimalist and dancing forms found in musical notation.

The development boosts Tasmania’s cultural sector by enabling new creative interdisciplinary education and research and a thriving music and performance hub, while incorporating cutting edge technologies facilitating local and global exchange.

Co-location with the Theatre Royal achieves sustainability and longevity through the sharing and upgrading of facilities and demonstrates best practice in adaptive reuse.

The development is funded as a unique collaboration between the University of Tasmania, the Australian and Tasmanian Governments and the Theatre Royal.

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The Hedberg

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