Princes Pier Collisions

I

The exponential growth and accelerated transformation of our cities have significant implications in our architecture and urban environment, including the disruption of the programs of activities of our neighbourhoods, buildings, and in some cases, infrastructures. The later is essential for this studio, as it proposes to redesign, reprogram, and ultimately preserve a significant piece of infrastructure that is also a key part of the city's history.

II

Princes Pier is a 580-meter structure situated in Port Melbourne, which received the influx of new migrants coming to Australia searching for a new prosperous life during the first half of the nineteenth century. After a series of fires, only one-third of the original structure remains in use. However, the other two-thirds did not disappear altogether, as the piles that once supported the pier's surface are still there.

III

This studio asks students to design a community centre and a vibrant and engaging public space on this site, through the implementation of design strategies to prompt formal and spatial associations with history.

IV

The studio suggests undertaking this challenge through a particular design process, where a specific design device—such as one derived from the concept of Illusion—can be implemented to prompt and stimulate the perception of spatial configurations lost due to processes of rapid urban transformation.

V

This process will be undertaken using three methods that complement each other: observation of the site and its surroundings, 'case study' methodology, and design exploration. Students will be asked to communicate their projects through a range of different media: including physical and digital models (conceptual, topographic, of surfaces, textures and materiality); drawings (sketches, diagrams, plans and sections); and atmospheric images showing the less tangible aspects of the project (conceptual photomontages, linear views, etc.).