University of Tasmania Library

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The Inveresk Library was co-designed in consideration of its surrounding environment, embracing, and honouring the past and present. The building’s sawtooth roof lines speak to the site’s industrial railyards heritage and reflects its current place within a shared precinct.  

The interior material palette is open and inviting. Warm and natural colours, textures and patterns speak to the local landscape and connection to Country while acknowledging the diversity of users and being inclusive to the needs of all. Of note is the surface colours and fabrics chosen to avoid busy patterns and intense colours. The use of linear orienting textural surface treatments and consistent placement of the parenting room, and all gender toilets on each floor make for intuitive wayfinding and was based on input from the Disability Reference Group.  

Carbon reduction methods and materials were prioritised, and sustainable features of the Library include: 

• Recycled steel gas pipelines repurposed into structural piles.  

• Low-carbon concrete. 

• Atrium skylights and solar initiatives that maximise natural light, energy efficiency and the sun’s thermal properties. 

• Tasmanian timber for its carbon sequestration capacity. 

• Sensor-activated lighting and water-efficient fittings.  

• Almost all the building’s materials could be recycled or re–purposed. 

There are flexible self-service collections, a mix of collaborative and quiet study spaces with electric height adjustable study desks, lamps and acoustically treated walls and ceilings. Reconfigurable shelving and furnishings provide opportunity for the Library to expand and contract to keep pace with the changing learning landscape. 

The integration of artwork in the building has helped bring the themes of discovering and creating new knowledges to life while inspiring curiosity. Working with Arts Tasmania, specific pieces have been thoughtfully integrated into the Library. Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Caleb Nichols-Mansell was commissioned to design carpets that now adorn the floors of all three levels and tell the story of the site’s First Nations people and the cultural significance of kanamaluka, the nearby Tamar River. Other thought-provoking artwork and objects on display include pieces by Troy Ruffels, with the display cases regularly available for commissioned artworks from local organisations such as Sawtooth ARI.