The South Australian government has announced plans for a new arts and media hub within the upcoming Tapangka precinct.

The design concept by Woods Bagot has been revealed for the contemporary arts and media facility located at the former Adelaide Bus Station site on Franklin Street.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has selected the Tapangka site as its preferred new location from its current headquarters in Collinswood, which is reaching the end of its suitability.   

Located on the south-east corner of the future Tapangka on Franklin, the new development will accommodate a combination of ABC and arts functions, gallery and rehearsal spaces, TV and radio studios, and more, supporting content making, technical and administrative operations.

The public broadcaster and South Australian government will partner with Renewal SA to progress plans for the new hub, subject to public works approval.

Slated as a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and collaboration, the Arts and Media Hub will strengthen Adelaide’s status as a leading centre for culture and creative excellence. The new facility will also accommodate the State Theatre Company, State Opera and Country Arts SA within its premises.

Woods Bagot Director Rosina Di Maria says that by bringing together multiple arts organisations in one location, the new hub will serve as an incubator for creativity and shared expression.

“The design fosters extended activation and activity, attracting diverse users to the precinct on a daily basis,” says Di Maria.

Celebrating transparency and engagement, the hub will relocate the public broadcaster and state arts organisations together within the CBD to interface with the broader public.

“Relocating the ABC into the CBD will enable South Australians to be a part of the media landscape, engaging with stories and contributing to the national conversation,” says Di Maria. “Additionally, the hub will provide a dynamic heart within Adelaide’s city centre, ensuring the public can participate in artistic, cultural and creative expression.”

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks says Adelaide ABC’s new home is “fit for purpose for a modern public broadcaster”.

“Moving to new state-of-the-art facilities central to the CBD and co-locating with government arts organisations offers enormous benefits to the broader arts community and our staff, audiences, and the creative sector,” says Marks.

The Arts and Media Hub is part of a wider mixed-use development, with masterplanning authored by Woods Bagot. Associate Principal Waleed Moughraby says the masterplanning principles will transform an underutilised section of the city into a vibrant precinct offering high-rise housing and contemporary commercial, civic and retail spaces.

“Benefitting from immediate adjacency to the expanded Adelaide Central Market precinct, Tapangka is positioned as a vibrant destination, offering the people of Adelaide the opportunity to live more connected and sustainably,” says Moughraby.

“We’re very excited to have the new arts and media hub confirmed as the flagship development within the greater Franklin Street evolution, supporting the site’s vision as a leading mixed-use precinct in the heart of Adelaide.”

Tapangka is scheduled for completion in 2031. For more information visit the Renewal SA website.

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Isla Sutherland
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