1895 AUL Chapel in Hobart wins award
austraLasia #1895

(photos available on Bosconet homepage)

New Chapel at Dominic College, Tasmania, wins Australian Architectural award

HOBART: 5th July 2007 --Four years after being destroyed by fire, Dominic College Chapel in Glenorchy, southern Tasmania, has risen from the ashes with an award winning design, mixing the spiritual with eye-catching, contemporary architecture.
    Described as 'an intelligent use of steel', by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects' jury, who awarded it this year's COLORBOND® steel Award and Public Architecture Award, the project represents a great piece of design work that complements the natural beauty of the site.
This particular kind of  steel was selected for texture and colour because it accentuated the shape of the building and complemented existing building fabric and surrounding gum trees.
    The chapel sits at the apex of Dominic College where it is a central link for the school community as well as boasting an impressive view of Mount Wellington. Designed by DesignInc Tasmania, the structure maximises spanning potential with a distinctive cranked steel frame, which opens up a huge column free view for Chapel users.
    The view to Mount Wellington provides a backdrop to the altar in the main chapel. A smaller chapel is created in one corner of this space by the opening of a wall panel. A second and yet a third chapel open out through folded, sliding doors onto a landscaped amphitheatre/courtyard where services can be held for up to 1,000 people.

    Final touches to the chapel will be completed by the Dominic College community working together to re-establish the ceremonial rose garden and recreate the 'Stations of the Cross', which in the previous chapel were also a striking feature painted on the windows by a Tasmanian award-winning artist. That artist has since died.
    Dominic College is one of Tasmania's best-known and sought-after educational K-12 institutions. It has been conducted by the Salesians since a community was established in 1946.  It has gone through several manifestations, starting out as Boys Town in the immediate post-war period, then becoming 'Savio College' in 1958 when the previous chapel was built (the author was indeed a member of the student community at that time!), and finally becoming Dominic College in the 60's, a name that recognised the involvement of the Dominican Sisters at the time that the College became co-educational. The Sisters have now withdrawn but their legacy is remembered fondly.

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