Hastings Pier to host architecture degree show and festival

Hastings Pier is launching its extended summer opening hours by hosting the University of Brighton School of Architecture and Design's annual graduate show.
Aerial photo of Hastings Pier. Photo by Eddie Mitchell. SUS-171128-100115001Aerial photo of Hastings Pier. Photo by Eddie Mitchell. SUS-171128-100115001
Aerial photo of Hastings Pier. Photo by Eddie Mitchell. SUS-171128-100115001

A total of 19 temporary ‘pavilions’ will be erected on the Pier Head by students from architecture, interior architecture, urban and product design, to display an amazing range of projects.

The exhibition will be open for public viewing every day until Sunday, June 10, including an ‘Architecture Festival’ on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. The festival includes street food traders from aPIERtite, craft beer from The Brewing Brothers, a live music stage until 11pm from Fat Tuesday and architecture lectures, debates and workshops.

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Head of School at Brighton University, Robert Mull, said: “We are really excited to be able to hold our show here. Hastings Pier is an extraordinary achievement both by the architects and the community that developed the project. It gives us a blank canvas for the students to inhabit; an opportunity to design and build a celebratory end-of-the-pier show to display their work to a wider audience. In addition, this will be the 25th anniversary of the university itself, so it really will feel like a party.”

On the Saturday, Fat Tuesday will be running a festival stage to host live music from Brighton acts La Lune and Sabrina Gunston, as well as a headline slot from local trail blazers Someone / Anyone at 8.30pm followed by a sunset DJ set from Irish collective Rushbrooke Music.

Pier general manager, Paul Denne, said: “After the success of the May Day weekend, we are delighted to be working with Brighton University to be hosting what promises to be another exciting and vibrant free event for the town, and it really will be a unique privilege to see the work of the talented architects and designers of tomorrow.”

Saturday also sees what is expected to be a lively discussion around the pier’s own architecture with a discussion titled ‘Hastings Pier: A Conversation about its Past, Present and Future’, with panellists including Jess Steele who spearheaded the campaign to save the pier in 2010, local architect Iain Exeley and Brighton University architect Michael Spooner, who was involved in the pier’s rebuild.

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There will also be free architectural drawing workshops from 12pm to 2.00pm given by the students.

The pier’s summer opening hours are 10am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 11pm Friday and Saturday. Visit www.hastingspier.org.uk.

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