Wrest Point: From Riviera Hotel To Casino Tower

Architect/s: Colin Philp & David Hartley Wilson (1939) Sir Roy Grounds (1973)

Deco to Modernism

How did a glamorous seaside hotel become one of Australia’s most recognisable pieces of modernist architecture?

Step inside Wrest Point and discover the layers of history behind a Hobart landmark that has transformed dramatically over more than eight decades.

The story begins in 1939 with the Riviera Hotel, designed by Tasmanian architects Colin Philp and David Hartley Wilson. Step inside the original hotel and look closely at its Art Deco character, from its elegant interiors and geometric details to the spaces that established Wrest Point as a fashionable destination on the Derwent.

Then the story takes a dramatic turn.

In the early 1970s, architect Sir Roy Grounds was commissioned to design a new casino complex, creating the bold modernist architecture that would become synonymous with Wrest Point. Completed in 1973, the development introduced a striking circular tower and a very different architectural language to the site.

Explore the spaces between these two eras and discover how changing ideas about leisure, tourism, entertainment and Tasmania’s place in the world shaped the evolution of Wrest Point.

Look closely and you’ll find a fascinating conversation between old and new, from the intimacy and craftsmanship of the original Art Deco hotel to the monumental forms and ambitious engineering of Grounds’ modernist complex.

Come and have a look behind the familiar façade, explore the details, hear the stories and discover how two very different architectural visions have combined to create one of Hobart’s most recognisable landmarks.

Tour: Sat 7 & Sun 8 Nov, 10.00am – 12.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm (bookings required)