Commercial & Leisure Highly Commended 2017

Location: Hastings & St. Leonards
Architect: dRMM
Client/Owner: Hastings Pier Charity
Structural Engineer: Ramboll Main
Contractor/Builder: Hastings Pier Charity
CLT Manufacturer: KLH
Joinery Company: TCUK Construction Cost Consultant: PT Projects Wood Supplier: TCUK Construction, Eco Choice, KLH
Wood Species: Austrian Spruce, Salvaged Pier Decking (Jarrah, Purple Heart, Green Heart and Balau), African Ekki

The 2010 destruction of Hasting’s Pier by fire led to an opportunity of redefining what a 21^st Century pier could be. dRMM’s re-design is a well-serviced platform that can support endless uses; from big-top circuses to international markets. A new visitor centre replaces the weakest central section of the damaged pier. The centre is a CLT structure clad in salvaged pier decking. Reclaimed timber deck furniture was designed by dRMM and Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling as part of a local employment initiative. The experience of free space and ‘walking on water’ is heightened by a louvered balustrade design and quality timber deck. The new pier offers flexibility, material and functional sustainability, and an uninterrupted vista of the natural and built surroundings of the special seaside town of Hastings.