Altona Pier is a much-loved community landmark that has played a vital role in the growth of the suburb since the 1800s. With an industrial and shipping past, today the pier is enjoyed for promenading, swimming, fishing, boating and socialising. The new geometry is crafted to provide an experiential quality and fulfill the functional brief. The main pier offers 260m of widened length, supporting increased visitor numbers, ambulance access, bikes and prams to enjoy a relaxed stroll over the water. At the end, a ‘y-junction’ resolves the dual function of vehicular turning circle and a two-prong approach to the pier head to create separate branches: the east stretching 70m to reach an existing artificial reef to support fishing and a safe
water depth for jumping and swimming; the west a shorter more intimate moment for rest and sunset viewing. The separate branches reduce congestion of heightened activities at the pier head, whilst affording a narrow footprint for surveillance of
swimmers underneath. The east branch integrates a lower landing to support boating and swimming, with ease of access via ramped and stepped entries.
The pier is elegantly curved and rounded, amplified by the lean of stainless-steel balustrades which imply windswept movement. Appreciated in the round, a dual pile arrangement with tapered concrete crossheads creates a slender and rhythmic march over the water.