Snøhetta and team wins competition for UNESCO World Heritage Site Education Center in Tasmania

Snøhetta, along with fellow Australian design collaborators Liminal Studio and Rush Wright Associates, has won the international competition for the design of the new History and Interpretation Center at the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site in South Hobart, Tasmania.

The Cascades Female Factory is one of Australia’s most historically significant sites related to female convicts, dating back to the time when Australia was a penal colony. It is one of three Tasmanian penal sites managed by The Port Arthur Historic Sites Management Authority (PAHSMA) and part of the Australian Convict Sites UNESCO World Heritage property. 

The historic function of the Female Factories was to put women to work, and today the factories are associated with the segregation of female criminals during the 19th century. The new Centre will fulfill an empowering and educational role recognizing the social, cultural and political foundations laid by the convict women, building upon their legacy, and connecting to the past to inform the future.