Located on Princes Wharf No 2 in Sullivan’s Cove, the new building for the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) stands proud as a genuine contribution to the civic and economic life of the state capital.
Forty percent of Australia’s marine science research is undertaken in Tasmania and much of this state’s considerable strength in marine and Antarctic science is now located in this building. This represents a centre of excellence in the study of the Southern Ocean on a local, national and international level.
IMAS has been designed as a shed, it is however a shed with a difference. The building adopts the gable roof extruded form of history. It has then been lifted off the cove floor so that the ground level is made very transparent. This reveals the activity of researchers and students to the public and clearly states the purpose of the building. The shed form is sliced open on the western end to again reveal activity and express the continuous roof and wall form that wraps the functions at upper levels. A folded roof form combines with the oblique angle of the slice to open up this end toward Salamanca Place.
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