Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

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01 November 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

The RIBA Stirling Prize judges have decided they really do like being beside the sea as they have voted their top prize to the fabulously restored Hastings Pier.

The coveted annual prize (this was the 22nd) is presented to RIBA Chartered Architects and International Fellows for buildings in the UK which have made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture over the past year

Six buildings were shortlisted for the 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize to be judged against a range of criteria including design vision; innovation and originality; capacity to stimulate, engage and delight occupants and visitors; accessibility and sustainability; how fit the building is for its purpose and the level of client satisfaction.

Hastings Pier by dRMM Architects

It took seven years to turn a smouldering pier in disrepair and decline into a vibrant public space - achieved through collaboration between the community, the council, the engineers and the architect.

Predictably enough, it transpired that it had to be everything to everybody, with an absent owner not responding to the increasingly Dangerous Structure repair requirements and no rebuild budget available in a run-down seaside town.

The architects had to write the brief and help raise the budget before redesigning the pier.

The decision not to place any building at the end of the pier was a risky move. However, the resultant large open space provides a sense of calmness with a strong connection to the sea and the seafront. The experience of free space and ‘walking on water’ is heightened by the optics of a very beautiful, louvred balustrade design and quality timber deck.

The new visitor centre replacing the weakest section of the damaged pier is a relatively simple CLT structure clad in reclaimed timber which was salvaged from the original fire damaged pier. This helps to create a strong feeling of place and belonging. It boosts an elevated, rooftop belvedere where locals go for a coffee or cup of soup. It offers adaptable space for events, exhibitions and education.

Reclaimed timber deck furniture was designed by dRMM and Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling as part of a local employment initiative.

The new pier is not a lonely pier - rather, it is extremely welcoming in its design, with free, open entry to the public. It offers flexibility, material and functional sustainability, and an uninterrupted vista of the natural and built surroundings.

This is a Heritage Lottery Funded project and it has become a catalyst for urban regeneration.

From a conservation perspective, this project has reinvigorated a fire damaged historic structure and facilitated a contemporary and appropriate new 21st century use. The project has been mindful to integrate material from the original pier in the new design and the process of restoration was used to help train a new generation of craft specialists. Picture: Hastings Pier by dRMM Architects wins the 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize. © Alex de Rijke

To see ThisWeekinFM's coverage of the short-list, Click Here

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 01 November 2017

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