Pumphouse Point was originally just what it sounds like: a hydroelectric power station, perched over Tasmania's Lake St. Clair. Decommissioned in 1990, today it finally sees action: as an eco-lodge set against the dramatic scenery of mountains, forests, and Australia's deepest lake.
The facades of the old Art Deco pump house and shore house buildings are nearly unchanged from the old days. Indoors, developer Simon Currant and Hobart-based architects Cumulus Studio reconfigured the space to create the lodge's 18 rooms—with the 12 in the former pump house at the end of a very long walkway.
By choice or no, Pumphouse Point will always be wild—the weather here is extreme. Be warned: one day during construction, a snowfall took all 24 workers by surprise and swiftly buried their tools.—which makes for dramatic tourism but should keep the faintest-hearted away. Pumphouse Point is in a World Heritage Area; attention was paid to environmental stewardship with sustainable materials, low-impact operations, and minimal land disturbance.
One thing we appreciate: though it's sited in a remote location, exclusivity is not the goal. Including bed, breakfast, and outdoor activities, rates are a nicely mid-priced $240 to $480 per night. For more, contact Pumphouse Point.
Photography by Adam Gibson except where noted.
Above: An aerial view shows the dramatic 250-meter flume (water channel, now a walkway) between the Shorehouse and the Pumphouse that together comprise Pumphouse Point. Photograph via Cumulus Studio.
Above: The entrance to Pumphouse Point. For such a remote location, the budget was a relatively modest $5 million. The architects and builders minimized customization and used simple construction techniques and standard fittings wherever possible.
Above: The Shorehouse building at the edge of the lake once housed offices and maintenance quarters for the turbines.
Above: The Shorehouse building entrance. Minimal work was done to the buildings' exteriors, both to retain a sense of history and to highlight the contrast between the new interiors and the old exteriors. Developer Simon Currant gave a clear order to architects Cumulus Studio before design began: "Don't muck up the exterior architecture; it's the inside we're converting."
Still, the overhaul required hard work, including asbestos removal, new roofs, and new window glass in both buildings.
Above: A room in the Shorehouse has views of the Pumphouse at the end of the dock.
Above: Sunrises and sunsets are dramatic over the lake.
Above: A guest room in the Pumphouse. Simple palettes in private spaces are made more elegant with finishes such as Tasmanian wood veneer paneling, minimal light fixtures, and bathroom plumbing of bent copper pipe.
Above: Pumphouse rooms sit over the water. Here, a chair and pillow in a Pumphouse suite flaunts its proximity to window's (and water's) edge.
Above: In the Pumphouse, guest suites run the length of the building on the outer wings, leaving the center as communal space. Full-height windows at building's edge mean the line of sight that starts down the concrete flume continues straight through the Pumphouse and over the lake.
Note the carpeted floors and cushioned furniture: because the Pumphouse was a hollow-core concrete building, the architects paid careful attention to acoustics and made design choices to absorb sound.
Above: In contrast to the private spaces, in communal spaces the architects used industrial materials like rough-hewn hardwood, exposed ductwork, and industrial lighting. Here, an amply stocked honor bar in the Shorehouse building.
Above: Even this Shorehouse bathroom has an outdoor view, through a narrow full-height window.
Above: The hotel knows its customers want an adventure, albeit a comfortable one. Onsite activities include fishing, kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking; guests may choose to arrive by seaplane.
Above: There's plenty to explore around the hotel, and at check-in guests receive iPads loaded with walking maps and information on activities, history, and wildlife. (You also can use the iPad to charge yourself for honor bar drinks in the communal lounge.)
Above: The Pumphouse Point development plans prompted debate over whether tourism and development should be allowed at all in world heritage sites. But developer Simon Currant had his eye on the Pumphouse site for nearly 20 years, and it appears to be a debate he's won.
Above: Lake St. Clair was first visited by Europeans in 1832, and European explorers, artists, and adventurers soon began to settle down. Here, a group hiking on a bush track in Tasmania circa 1881. Photograph via Pumphouse Point.
Above: The Tasmanian government planned the five-story pumphouse in 1930; the project was finished in 1940. But the station was never fully used and the pumphouse was decommissioned around 1990. Photograph via Pumphouse Point.
Plan your next vacation or travel by armchair:
- Garden Visit: An Oregon Garden Where Deer Are Welcome.
- Hotel Visit: Rent a Wing of Wiveton Hall in Norfolk.
- Airbnb Visit: Under the Radar, Near Capri.
- Into the Wild: An Urban Campground in Berlin.
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