There is an important civic dimension to the new Brooke St Pier, both in its overall urban context and in its forecourt. The pier is a contemporary building, which still alludes to the former finger piers that once were there. In this sense, history has been reinterpreted in a new and inclusive way, building a ‘shed’ in memory of the former sheds. The forecourt is a new urban space, but one with precise requirements arising from the fact that it is the point of exit from a floating building. This means it must conform to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and allow a safe exit to land, not to maritime regulations, which would have everyone in liferafts in an emergency. The ramps change angle with the tide heights, which created the need for a landing that could be the base for a swinging structure complying with acceptable BCA ramp grades for at least 80 per cent of the time. We have tried to create an external space that also provides a welcoming way of getting to the public spaces within. With the closing of the street outside the pier, Brooke St Forecourt is a new pedestrian civic precinct.
Architect
Circa Morris Nunn
Consultants
Structural consultant – Richard Lawrence
Mechanical consultant – Cundall
Hydraulic consultant – Gandy and Roberts
Lighting consultant – Point of View
Services consultant – Jim Gandy
Naval architect – Fred Barrett
Interior design – Georgina Freeman
Graphics – Damian Scott
Photographer – Matt Sansom
Contractors
Builder – Fairbrother
Project manager – Sam Tucker
Foreman (Incat site) – Ben Satchell
Foreman (city site) – Justin Pegg