On Saturday 5th June Tasmanian Architecture firms came together to celebrate at the 2021 Tasmanian Architecture Awards in Launceston. After the 2020 event being held virtually, it was the first time many of the Architects had been together in a long time, which made it a wonderful night of celebration and reconnection.

The Australian Institute of Architects Awards program offers an opportunity for public and peer recognition of the innovative work of Tasmanian Architects. The Cumulus team attended the event with hopeful anticipation, as Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Stoney Rise Cellar Door had been shortlisted in respective categories.

We are delighted to announce that Cumulus won the following awards:

- CRADLE MOUNTAIN VISITOR CENTRE
COLORBOND AWARD FOR STEEL ARCHITECTURE
THE ALAN C WALKER AWARD FOR PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE
THE DIRK BOLT AWARD FOR URBAN DESIGN

- STONEY RISE CELLAR DOOR
AWARD FOR COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE

It was an incredible night of celebration for the entire Cumulus family, with many team members at the event or watching along from home either in Tasmania, Adelaide and Melbourne.

CRADLE MOUNTAIN VISITOR CENTRE

Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre is on the land of the Big River Nation people and we recognise them as the Traditional Owners.

Cradle Mountain is a project that the Cumulus team have been involved in since 2016 when the master plan for the precinct was created, construction on stage one of the project was completed in 2020 which included the visitor centre and shelters.

Cumulus Director Peter Walker talks about the process “As a studio we are really proud of what has been accomplished at Cradle Mountain. A huge amount of effort has gone into the Gateway Project which was developed over six years through design from the initial master plan through the construction to the opening last year during covid restrictions. We feel that the project is highly significant to the state’s visitor economy and accentuates one of Tasmania’s most significant natural tourism destinations.” This project is the result of many minds working together, Pete continues “We are so thankful to all of the people who made the project the success that it is… from the multidisciplinary design team who worked collaboratively on this unique design solution throughout the project, to Fairbrother builders on delivering a beautifully crafted building despite sometimes testing weather conditions. In particular we are also thankful to all of the team at Tasmania Parks and Wildlife, our client, for their support and trust in us.”

The Cumulus team worked with a large number of consultants on the Cradle Mountain project, with key collaborators being:

Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Services – client

Playstreet – Landscape Architects

Futago – Wayfinding & Interpretation

Aldanmark – Engineering

WT Partnership – Quantity Surveyor

Fairbrother Construction – Construction

STONEY RISE CELLAR DOOR

Pippa Jensen, Architect / Associate and project lead on Stoney Rise Cellar Door was thrilled with the Award for Commercial Architecture. This project has a small footprint but has put the visitor experience at the forefront and has created varied business opportunities for the owners, Pippa explains “It is incredible that this modest cellar door has made a contribution to both the Tasmanian tourism and architectural community. Throughout the design process we ensured that the cellar door could be used in an intimate unique wine experience as well as shifting to accommodate a range of functions.”

The jury citation noted that ‘The Architects have masterfully crafted a richly diverse sequence of spaces that is unexpected in a building so modest in size’, which makes Pippa feel proud, “I am so happy that our considered approach has been recognised by the jury.”

The Cumulus team would like to thank all team members, consultants, collaborators and our wonderful clients for being a part of this process. The awards recognition is a result of everyone coming together to create unique and unexpected projects that deliver engaging visitor experiences.