Hobart CBD to be revitalised as cultural destination with new ‘In The Hanging Garden’ precinct

Plans to enhance Hobart’s CBD as a cultural destination are progressing with town planning and demolition works for Stage 1 of the upcoming ‘In The Hanging Garden’ precinct underway.

The four-year collaborative venture between Riverlee and DarkLab for ‘In The Hanging Garden’ will see the collision of food, music, community and commerce in Hobart’s CBD.

Designed to entice people to play and stay in the CBD, In The Hanging Garden’s envisioned three stages of development will encompass nearly an entire city block in the heart of Hobart, amplifying the streetscape with added restaurants, bars, live music and family-friendly venues, with complementing residential and commercial space.

With town planning applications and demolition works now commenced, the future precinct is programmed to include a mixed-use commercial building on the corner site of Bathurst and Watchorn Streets. The innovative workplace is a joint venture between Riverlee and Quintessential Equity, and is designed by the renowned Museum of New and Old Art (Mona) architects Fender Katsalidis, supported by 6 Degrees, the architects for In The Hanging Garden precinct masterplan.

This first stage proposes to include a newly designed entrance to the ‘In The Hanging Garden’ precinct, which will establish the first part of a future pedestrian link connecting Watchorn Street to Murray Street, increasing accessibility and patronage into Hobart’s city centre.  

James Pearce, Director at Fender Katsalidis Architecture advises “drawing on our deep knowledge of Hobart's unique culture and community, In The Hanging Garden presents locals and travellers with an empathetically-designed precinct offering that authentically celebrates its vibrant heritage and provides accessible spaces for cultural creation, further propelling the city's reinvigoration for years to come.”

With over 45% of Tasmania’s population residing in Greater Hobart, and with the city’s population set to rapidly expand year-on-year, the innovative precinct will lead the way for premium commercial space, attracting new and supporting existing small business to the area.

David Lee, Riverlee Development Director adds “we have a deep understanding of the block, and the site’s long history. The site at 120 Bathurst Street was carefully selected, with the precinct masterplan in mind, as well as the consideration of future staging, including the existing operational Hanging Garden venue. Through a careful design process, we explored multiple design iterations to ensure the streetscape and local character of Hobart could be protected.”

Laying the foundations and acting as a catalyst for further regenerative works planned in Stages 2 and 3, the success of the planning application will enable the preservation of neighbouring heritage buildings. This includes The Odeon Theatre, which previously had a demolition permit, as well as other culturally significant buildings including the Tattersalls Hotel, and Wellington House.

Motivated by a shared aspiration to leave a lasting legacy of cultural, environmental and social impact, Riverlee and DarkLab’s vision for ‘In The Hanging Garden’ represents an opportunity to share with the world what makes the city of Hobart so special and unique, and has been designed to encourage locals, visitors and residents to immerse themselves in the city’s rich, cultural history.  

Following stages will see the site transformed with a series of hospitality and live music venues, tiered gardens, communal areas and potentially a diverse residential offering all interconnected via a network of intimate and vibrant laneways. Central to Riverlee and DarkLab’s vision, additional plans also support the restoration of the much-loved Odeon with a new 180+ key hotel - increasing patronage and travel into the nucleus of Hobart and allowing Tasmania to live on as an international destination for live music and performance for another 100-plus years.  

In what is an ongoing, 20-year planned investment into the City of Hobart by Riverlee, these latest announcements for the ‘In The Hanging Garden’ precinct follow four years of close consultation between Riverlee, the City of Hobart and local members of the community, aligning with urban renewal goals envisioned by the Central Hobart Precinct Plan.

Critical to the success of ‘In The Hanging Garden’ is the engagement and support of the Hobart community and the City of Hobart.  

“Early and ongoing community engagement is really important to us. It takes a lot of time, planning and patience, but we enjoy it, and our projects are always better off because of it, because they are shaped by the communities that we are working in. For the ‘In The Hanging Garden’ precinct, we have made it a priority to stay in touch with the people who live and work nearby,” said ‘ Lee.

“Our masterplan is ever-changing and adapting to reflect the needs and interests of the city, and we will continue to listen to the community as we progress. This is an ambitious vision for a new urban neighbourhood, so we want to get the mix right.”

Image: In The Hanging Garden Credit: Riverlee and Six Degrees and DarkLab