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St Kilda pier kiosk
Earlier in the week the landmark 99 year old kiosk at the end of Saint Kilda pier burnt down. Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks declared in the age yesterday that, "The reconstruction, which will be done as quickly as possible, will be done in accordance with the heritage requirements of the pier."
Later in the article: "The National Trust has predicted there will be debate over whether the original Victorian building should be replicated."
There will be a lot of locals wanting instant reconstruction of an identical building, feeling robbed of part of their history. It was also a unique example in Australia of its type. This crowd could look to the example of the West Pier in Brighton England, which has suffered both a fire and partial collapse in the past year. The powers that be have decided to restore the 1866 pier to its 1920 state, and throw a commercial building or two at the entry to the pier in order to make a buck out of it.
http://www.westpier-trust.demon.co.uk/images.html
Yet this could be an opportunity for a significant contemporary structure that says more about St Kilda now than a victorian replica ever could.
Later in the article: "The National Trust has predicted there will be debate over whether the original Victorian building should be replicated."
There will be a lot of locals wanting instant reconstruction of an identical building, feeling robbed of part of their history. It was also a unique example in Australia of its type. This crowd could look to the example of the West Pier in Brighton England, which has suffered both a fire and partial collapse in the past year. The powers that be have decided to restore the 1866 pier to its 1920 state, and throw a commercial building or two at the entry to the pier in order to make a buck out of it.
http://www.westpier-trust.demon.co.uk/images.html
Yet this could be an opportunity for a significant contemporary structure that says more about St Kilda now than a victorian replica ever could.
Comments
" The Queenscliff Maritime Museum plans to see the kiosk return to its former glory, right down to the last lick of paint, after the plans were handed to them last year."
Herald Sun 14 September
I would much prefer to see them build a faithful replica of Kirbys Kiosk.
exterior to be of the old kiosk, interior to be ultimate modern to catch up with the 21st century!
would be a nice place if they dun sell junk snacky food, great for cafe/lounges
I think make the whole thing in cutesy fake victoriana (see Caroline Springs) or throw caution to the Port Philip wind and go 2004, whatever that might be. I know its reaching a bit, but imagine the Syd Op House contender being told to refer back to the tram sheds(?) because people were used to the look of them. [/i]
its not a fascimile - but the architects were under a spell.
Today, the letters page was fairly buzzing. Phillip Schemnitz, architect: http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/30/1088488024183.html
and no phillip schemnitz, just because quite a few people want to build something new, it does not mean that we didn't think the old building wasn't great, but it's gone. if architecture is a representation of the time in which it was built, built culture perhaps, what does it say about our particular culture that we're electing to replicate the past? not that we're trying to preserve the past, but that we're trying to replicate it, because they're entirely different issues.
[expletive deleted - moderator]
it's as lucid as any of the posts on this wank forum - especially your side splitting comment.
This is not the same building Mr Gross, in australian culture to copy like this is to fake it. This will be a building pretending to be 100 years old. It will confuse and degrade the authenticity of the rest of the 19th century fabric in the area, all for reasons of nostalgia and fear of alienating local voters.
The preferable response would be to wait a good while for the tears to dry, open the debate up, have a real architectural competition, consult with the public, and build something meaningful, practical, and contemporary.
PS Does Mr Gross not realise that he is mayor of South Melbourne, which is fast becoming Melbourne's design industry ghetto? Doesn't sound like it.
And trendy cafe/lounges instead of junkfood. Now that is something that St.Kilda really needs more of.
My jury is still out on these structures, because I know that they are new, the Brisbane structures look tacky to me, but to anyone else, they would just be impressed by a sense of history that never existed before. This is especially the case, because Brisbane can use them to portray the image of embracing the river since the turn of the century - something that really only started nearly 100 years later, in 1988, for World Expo.
I think it is far more moral for St Kilda to replace its icon than for post-modernism in places like Brisbane, which try to create a sense of history, because it doesn't exist.
I've just found the PDF of Allom Lovell's design, released in late November. It can be accessed from this page: http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1ministory.cfm?story=69
First to explain what the large "sculptural art form" protruding like a bowspit from the end of the pier gets a paddle pop (should we find a sponsor).
Interestingly, while the original kiosk is to be copycat 19th C kiosk, the rest of the development (where it faces the sea) will be a very neutral "I'm not really here" modern box. Isn't it peculiar for a Victorian heritage building and its modern extension to be built at the same time.
Because the box at the back is quite a lot bigger than the kiosk element, you could reverse this thinking and say the development is really a modern box with an elaborate heritage facade masking it from public view. All to satisfy politicians who think '
contemporary' means 'offensive'.
==
Something else I dredged from the web, this time from the Millward Brown "St Kilda Kiosk
Qualitative Research Summary Report"
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/14_1154.pdf
Restore the Kiosk in keeping with the original building:
An appreciation of the heritage of the Kiosk and its important role in the history,
recreation, and traditions of St Kilda, is important for residents, both those who have
lived in the area for a long time and more recently. The architecture and shape of the
building should ideally reflect its role in the history of St Kilda, and be in keeping with
the look of the original building.
They can modernise it, if keeping outside inside can have a nostalgic feel in a
modern way. (Group 1 Kiosk Users)
[sic][sick]
I was most surprised to find on page 206 references to this very forum thread. So members Dharma Bum, Rayk and myself are quoted in the report. What goes around...
++++++
Have not read the whole report yet, but scooting about in the appendices I have found reference to the reports own author, who is view is described in the third person:
"Reconstruct it as accurately as possible he believes. He grieves each time he sees that
space."
Seems to be a common thing to do these days in government reports as a means of gauging the vox populi
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/mresources/stkilda_pier/pier_progress.htm
I'll be happy to return once the work is all finished.