The RICH (Re-Imagining City Hall) Hobart Project

In keeping with city vision of making HOBART the most accessible city in the world.... an access and activity centre to support activities in the city eg art for well being, respite space for parents and kids, space to draw breath and meet for diverse groups. Make it attended and open over weekend. Place for community groups to have a small “office” presence. Vibrant place to meet for activities and for connection to events and groups and community supports. Space for accessibility needs to be met for residents, visitors and tourists.

Three huon pine laser enhanced figures, life size: Feet on homeground, one standing thigh deep in a set bitumen river mid macquarie and mid market place gazing north-east through the misplaced biscuit brick hotel wondering why, as offright under his gaze he saw his children two arunning to him with joy.

We can reimagine; but do that on top of reconsidering the rich natural and cultural location and event of the city hall and its place. Here we have a nub, a 'belly button' for 'Hobart' connecting a past and a future, an extreme of peoples, a sustainability story, an urban development lesson, wide ocean meeting the inland of an island, cultural education and a potential architectural acknowledgement of the place of the indigenous native (singularly with interpretation of a raw island) with the antipodean in our current global. An immensely key place that needs to be bigger and part of a heritage bigger than that of the colony alone.

Homartian - Where is your Indigenous City:
The book is a light hearted and passionate Hobart social and environmental geography. Its second chapter has a focus on some qualities and potentials of the land at City Hall and Dunn carpark. A people book. An urban sprout.
Hobart bookshop, Fullers, TMAG.

I agree with the many suggestions, ideas, comments already posted. In particular it is an ideal location for community events. One option is that it could be used during Wooden Boat Festival and other similar events eg, Antarctic Festival. The proximity of the Argyle car park will help manage parking during events. Perhaps on these occasions the open hours for the car park could be extended. I feel very strong against any thought for the building to be demolished.

The City Hall should be just that. A facility for holding events in the City that are too big for other venues and that are not suitable for outdoors. Such a venue is very hard to come by in the middle of the City. Its location makes it an ideal alternative to the Domain for ANZAC DAY in times of poor weather [ it has been used as such several times]. Some of Dark Mofo, Wooden Boat Festival, et al could easily be a candidate for use. The upstairs seating needs replacing. The on-stage facilities need updating - improving. Catering facilities need updating and moving the Youth Center from the area that faces Collins Street might be a good way of getting the extra space required.
The idea of subdividing the area for housing or any other purpose is totally against the City ideals. We need venues for events that bring us together.

I think the City Hall should be as unashamedly 'Regal' as it is affordable (and maybe even elements that aren't affordable). If should be adaptable, and reflect a uniquely Australian sentiment with strong Tasmanian environmental and historical elements. It should not give way to contemporary / trendy sentiment but reflect a timeless vitality. Could it capture an early European history that included the French, Dutch and English noting some of that early European effort in our waters came from the visions of the French King Louis XVI / Napoleon / King George III and thus the exploration spirit of Tasman / Cook / Bligh / Flinders / Peron / Baudin / D'Entrecasteaux. Could it also come to terms with the First Nation People / Black War / dispossession / genocide? And then the pioneering spirit of the mining and pastoral industries where our fine wool in particular is still testimony to the pioneering effort made by Eliza Forlong. I appreciate that some of these are not Hobart specific but shouldn't the capital city of Tasmania resonate with the State's history.

I think the City Hall should have the capability of being a cinema theatre and regularly program the screening of non mainstream/local movies and documentaries and other audiovisual productions. There could be a fixed day of the week or the month (frequency to be discussed in detail by expert advisors, external consultants and council community development and arts & events staff, in consultation with the community) allocated to the screening of films either for free or for an affordable ticket price. I am an expert in this field and can provide further advise/insight as to how to implement such a thing.

Would be great to see it used for live music through upgraded acoustics and seating and if possible theatre/dance by modifying stage and giving Hobart another mid sized venue

While I have been to many different types of events at the City Hall, the Hall was not the most suitable type of venue for some of them. I realise there would be a huge cost in making the Hall more adaptable, I think that it would mean that it could be used for more, different events.
It is such a great space, it is a pity it is not used more often. I think Hobart is seriously short on really top quality performance spaces (especially with the Theatre Royal being closed for renovation).
So … I think it would be best if the re-thinking made it into a top-class venue for visiting and local plays, concerts, opera, dances etc. We may be able to attract more touring concerts etc if we had another good venue.
I am not really in favour of it becoming a small community-type hall, as I think this would lead to it gradually continuing the decline it is in at the moment.
It is too valuable and beautiful space and needs to be a major player with a focused role in the Hobart and Tasmanian cultural community, complementing the others in the immediate area … TMAG, Theatre Royal, the TSO concert Hall. The City Hall has the scale, beauty and Heritage to become part of a "Hub" of culture and entertainment in Hobart.

A part-time live music and event venue would be nice. Something like the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.

Agree with Toleary. Hobart public primary schools are full to bursting. Perhaps a collaboration with the Department of Education? It’s also very close to the University’s Hedberg, seems like an opportunity to leverage greater support for creativity.

more free events and displays

I grew up in Launceston and have such wonderful memories of the Christmas Fair at the Albert Hall every year. It was a huge go-to event, where charities could show case and sell their items, run raffles, sell cakes, toys, etc... there were lucky dips for children, all sorts of wonderful treasures to be found. Stalls from both businesses and charities, something for everyone. It went for 3 or 4 days and was such a boost for the charities (who paid a peppercorn rent) and for the businesses (who paid more!). They had Santa photos and occasionally bands playing. It was something we looked forward to all year. Entry was free. Something like that would be wonderful, bringing the community together for Christmas, helping the charities raise money and giving businesses the opportunity to showcase their wares as potential Christmas presents.

Community groups need a place to hold events within the city. City Hall is ideally placed to become a venue that schools and community groups could use to for theatrical and musical performances , end of year assemblies etc. The number of venues available for hire within the Hobart area for this type of purpose are quite limited and very expensive. The Hall would require to be upgraded to include some sound, lighting and audiovisual aids so that each user is not required to install temporary systems at added cost.

It's minimal usage suggests that low income housing, or emergency housing, would serve better social purpose if the building lends itself to internal refurbishing for this purpose.