THE PADDLE - ' Highly Commended Awards '
Bring Back Brookes Jetty - the Leighton Prize, St Kilda VIC 2020
Team: Feng Xue & Andre Braun
DESIGN STATEMENT
Our proposal is to create an intimate space to connect with the memories of the Brookes Jetty, the landscape of St Kilda and diverse seaside experiences.
We hope people will remember where the location of the jetty used to be, remember its slenderness and linearity. Instead of introducing a very new form into the area, our proposal is to reminisce about the former jetty and blend it carefully into the surroundings.
Beyond the original role of the jetty, the proposed jetty extends its promenade further into the sea, opens up and forms a wider platform. It is a vantage point for people to appreciate St Kilda’s unique landscape including its sunset. It is a place to connect with nature, to pause and contemplate.
The expansion of the jetty also creates opportunities to engage diverse seaside activities. The new jetty is able to dock small boats by extending its length into the proximity of the boating zone. The waterfront platform and steps form an amphitheatre promoting St Kilda’s alternative popular culture. Events such as weddings, sunset concerts or everyday busking could take place in the jetty, vitalising St Kilda’s unique character.
The new jetty can be accessed by diverse user groups of mixed ages and abilities. The simplicity of the jetty and the suitability of its materials can make it affordable.
‘’The former jetty had long been used as a promenade over the water, a place to dangle your legs and contemplate life.’’ The new jetty will go beyond that and will give new reasons to experience St Kilda’s seafront.