Devonport Living City Stage Two
Devonport Living City Stage 2 Waterfront Park and Hotel is the next step in realising the Council’s vision to regenerate and reinvigorate the city centre through a shared investment in public and private infrastructure. The new public Waterfront Park and privately owned Hotel work in compositional unison – creating an articulate and dynamic urban design form which acts as a highly functional connector between the city and the river, as well as an attractive destination for the community and visitors alike. The precinct advances precinct regeneration, aligning public and private investment for long-term community benefit.
The elevated ‘pier’ walkway frames the south edge of the park and compositionally extends the horizontal articulation of the hotel to the river – a highly charged attractor in the city. Completed in 2022, the project activates the public realm, creating an exciting first impression for sea passengers coming to Tasmania. It strengthens the urban fabric, supporting year-round community use.
Community
Neil Appleton
ASPECT Studios
Devonport City Council
2 Best Street, Devonport TAS
Located on the traditional lands of the Punnilerpanner people
27,000m2 (Park) / 8500m2 (Hotel)
Complete, 2022
“Devonport will thrive with the public and private investment, and the integrated urban design undertaken by Lyons wonderfully fulfills councils’ vision whilst respecting the existing city.”
Matthew Atkins, General Manager, Devonport City Council
The Mersey River and its connection to Bass Strait is one of the great attractions of Devonport. By developing the Waterfront Park and Hotel, the connection from the cultural and civic heart of Devonport will be both visually and physically evident. We started our design thinking by drawing three key strong connections between the city, the river, and the straights. Extending from Stage 1, a landscaped promenade traverses between the Paranaple Centre and the art gallery, culminating at the riverbank.These moves support regional masterplanning and walkable links between the civic heart and waterfront.
With the Art Gallery’s relocation, this pathway becomes a key sculptural walk, anchoring the city’s cultural core to the waterfront. Along this axis, visitors encounter a dynamic water feature, leading to vibrant riverbank destinations, including a waterfront picnic pavilion and nature play park. The promenade doubles as everyday placemaking, encouraging cultural programs and informal use.
Strategically positioned on Best Street, south of the Waterfront Park, the Hotel’s design minimises its ground-level footprint, dedicating space to an inviting lobby, restaurant, and bar, while relegating essential services discreetly. Elevating guest rooms above the ground plane preserves and amplifies sightlines from key urban vantage points, through the park, to the river, and beyond to the strait.The arrangement enables mixed-use activation while keeping the ground plane open to the park.
Notably, from the Rooke Street Mall and Best Street intersection, vistas extend beneath the Hotel, through the park, reaching out to the lighthouse beacon and the strait. This axis guides pedestrians directly to the historic lighthouse beacon and the newly envisioned ’roundhouse’ pavilion, an homage to the site’s railway heritage. Elevating the Hotel at this prominent corner crafts a striking urban gateway to both the park and the Hotel’s communal spaces. The composition reinforces town centre regeneration, complementing heritage edges and established streets.
Aligning with the entrance of the new Paranaple Centre, a new pedestrian route traces the Hotel’s northern façade, leading directly to the waterfront. Conceived as an elevated public pier, it spans over Formby Road and the railway, extending as a viewing platform over the river. This vantage point offers panoramic views of berthed ships to the south and the expansive strait to the north. The pier enhances public realm design, offering clear wayfinding and civic vantage points.
Nestled between the first and third axes lies a nature playground, providing a wonderful new space for the community and visitors. The cohesive design of the Hotel and Pier manifests as a unified architectural composition. The play spaces contribute to community infrastructure, supporting inclusive, intergenerational use.
The Waterfront Park was designed to accommodate a diverse range of community activities, from city workers on lunch breaks to families picnicking, children playing, and major public events. A garden featuring local and Indigenous plants was created, integrating a sculptural stone and water feature that celebrates the unique geology of central Tasmania. Together, the park and pier catalyse the visitor economy with flexible settings for events and everyday use.
Neil Appleton, Directors, Practice Executive
View Neil's Profile
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