University of Tasmania facility to ring in new era of music & creative arts

After nearly a decade of conceptual planning and construction, the University of Tasmania has finally unveiled The Hedberg building, a world-class music and creative arts teaching, research and collaboration facility. 

Located at the centre of Hobart, the facility is slated to open in time for the first semester of 2020. 

The AU$110 million development was delivered through a collaborative partnership between the university, the Australian and Tasmania governments and the Theatre Royal, while also supported by an AU$5 million contribution from the Ian Potter Foundation. 

The building features an appropriately dramatic design to reflect the grandeur of performing and creative arts, thanks to the alumni-led team at Liminal Studio in partnership with renowned Singaporean architects WOHA and Arup Acoustics. 

The exterior design features a stunning and shimmering reflective surface and crinkled ‘curtains’ on either side of each window pulled back to symbolise the opening of a performance. 

The Hedberg is strategically located to cultivate collaboration and cross-disciplinary activity between music, creative arts and science.

It is located at the heart of Hobart’s creative precinct, only a short walk away from nearby arts and creative teaching and learning facilities such as the art school in Hunter Street, the media school in Salamanca, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra at the Federation Concert Hall and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and the Medical Science Precinct is also located nearby.

According to a media release, University of Tasmania’s Head of School of Creative Arts and Media Meg Keating said The Hedberg will be an incubator for creative practice, research, partnerships and engagement. 

“The Hedberg takes us unequivocally into the creative future, giving our music and creative arts students the best learning spaces and bringing students, staff, industry and community together,” she said.

The Hedberg will be a catalyst for the performing arts and new media, specifically equipped with the latest variable acoustics, lighting and music technologies and providing the best practical learning spaces to support visual and performing arts, classical and contemporary music, film, architecture and hybrid design practices. 

The building will feature many purpose-built, soundproof and digitally equipped rehearsal and practice rooms, an integrated multi-room recording suite, two key performance spaces which are the Recital Hall and the Salon, and sound-stage and broadcast capabilities. 

Keating added that the music and creative arts programmes aimed to equip students with the agility needed for contemporary creative careers and leadership. 

“We want to use this building in a way that reflects how convergence technologies are changing what is creatively possible and therefore redefining creative careers,” she said.  

The Hedberg will set the stage of 21st-century creative arts by fostering unprecedented learning experiences and partnerships with creative industries and festivals in Tasmania. 

The building will be co-located with the Theatre Royal, the oldest operating theatre in Australia, and will enhance sustainability through the shared performance space, exemplifying the best practice in adaptive reuse and sustainable development.