In conjunction with Peddle Thorp & Walker, ARTAS designed the adaptive re-use of the old Launceston Railway workshop into the first-class Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QV MAG). Converting the old, derelict, railway workshop into a building that was both inviting for the public and suitable for the preservation of archival materials involved overcoming numerous technical and aesthetic challenges including waterproofing, climate control, daylighting and operational planning.

The existing industrial complex did not include a public entry. To achieve this, a statement portal walkway was inserted in an existing ‘gap’, creating an engaging public address on the busy Invermay Road.

Opened in 2001, as both a gallery and museum, the revitalised Inveresk precinct now houses the QV MAG’s Natural Sciences and History collection and visiting exhibitions, with a dedicated Art Gallery located elsewhere. The adaptive reuse of the former industrial site has been a development of substantial economic and cultural significance for the people of Northern Tasmania, allowing QV MAG to grow into the future.