1+2 Architecture acknowledges the Palawa people as the traditional custodians of lutruwita, the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. We are committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Richmond Tourist Amenities
LOCATION + TRADITIONAL COUNTRY
The Palawa, Richmond, Tasmania
CLIENT
Not Applicable
STATUS
Built (2003)
AWARDS
Not applicable
media
Architecture Australia (March/April 2005), pp.70-73
Micro Architecture: Very Small Buildings (2007), pp.22-25
PHOTOGRAPHY
Ray Joyce + 1+2 Architecture
Richmond Tourist Amenities explores how contemporary architecture can contribute to a historic township without imitating the buildings of its past.
Developed as part of a broader plan to improve public amenities and transport access in Richmond, Tasmania, the project sought to make better use of an underutilised public car park while addressing the challenges of visitor and vehicle movement through the town.
The ambition was to create a functional public facility that respected Richmond's architectural heritage while establishing a contemporary identity of its own.
KEY COLLABORATORS
+ Builder:
Cordwell Lane
+ Structural / Hydraulics Engineering:
+ Services Engineering:
ECOS Pty Ltd
+ Building Surveyor:
+ Landscape:
Leslie Goulburn
+ Quantity Surveyor:
Place
Richmond holds an important place in Tasmania's colonial history. Its historic buildings and streetscapes offer a tangible connection to this complex past, while contributing to the township's identity as a cultural and tourism destination.
Working within this context required a considered architectural response. Rather than reproducing familiar historic building forms, 1+2 sought to understand the underlying qualities of Richmond's architecture and reinterpret them through a contemporary architectural approach.
Process
Drawing on the forms, composition and materials of Richmond's historic architecture, the design reworks these influences through abstraction and adaptation. Contemporary construction methods, finishes and detailing establish a clear distinction between the new structure and its historic surroundings.
This architectural approach formed part of a two-stage masterplan for the redevelopment. The proposal sought to increase car parking capacity and introduce dedicated drop-off facilities for tourist coaches and local school buses, helping to reduce heavy vehicle congestion along Richmond's main street.
Stage 1 of the redevelopment was completed, establishing the first part of the broader proposal. Stage 2 planned to include additional bus shelters, street furniture, signage, heritage interpretation and the implementation of a landscape masterplan.
Impact
Richmond Tourist Amenities demonstrates how thoughtful design can bring architectural quality to modest public infrastructure.
The project received an Honourable Mention from the Australian Institute of Architects, recognising its considered response to Richmond's historic setting and its innovative approach to a building type often treated as purely functional.
Awards + Jury Citation
RAIA Public Buildings – Honourable Mention 2005
“This building deserves recognition because it seeks to contextualise, within an historic setting. Through means other than imitation of historic forms. It is a well-considered approach, which reworks components of the familiar without pastiche. It also provides an innovative plan for an often maligned building type.”
