National award for Hastings Pier

Hastings Pier, which was transformed from a smouldering ruin into a stunning public space, has won a 2017 RIBA National Awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in recognition of its architectural excellence.
Hastings Pier wins Pier of the Year award. SUS-170205-155305003Hastings Pier wins Pier of the Year award. SUS-170205-155305003
Hastings Pier wins Pier of the Year award. SUS-170205-155305003

The pier is one of just 49 buildings across the UK to have scooped the award.

The shortlist for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize, for the UK’s best building of the year, will be drawn from these winners.

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The judges heaped praise on Hastings Pier, saying: “It has taken a seven-year heroic collaboration to turn a smouldering pier in disrepair and decline into a vibrant public space with a palpable sense of ownership.

“This collaboration has been between the community, the council, the engineers and the architect and it is the architect’s vision which has been vital throughout to steer the process.

“After extensive stakeholder consultation, it was clear to dRMM that the pier would be expected to host many different populist scenarios.

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

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“Their ‘master-move’ and response to this brief was to design a strong, community led/owned serviced platform which could accommodate a whole host of uses, from music concerts, to international markets.”

RIBA president Jane Duncan said: “RIBA National Awards provide insight into emerging design trends, as well as showing how well the profession responds to economic drivers.

“I am delighted to see such confident, innovative and ambitious architecture delivered in such challenging times.”

Last month, the pier scooped three regional RIBA awards, including one for the Hastings Pier Charity and for architect Alex de Rijke.