The City of St Kilda released a competition to regenerate the foreshore at the St Kilda Beach Jetty and EPCΛD used the core design philosophy of place, movement and environment in the development of this competition entry.
The Pointe concept seeks to address not only the desire for a reinstated jetty, but a significant addition to the public realm at St Kilda.
The design reconfiguring the northern side of Shakespeare Grove to a Promenade Walk to provide improved pedestrian connectivity between Acland Street and a revitalised attraction at the foreshore, as well as establishing a continuity of open space linkages between adjacent gardens and reserves. Some streets were rationalised to create pedestrian priority and the existing, wider pedestrian promenade adjacent to Luna Park allows for shaded canopies, seating nodes, new tree installation and a series of bioswales for storm water filtration and cleansing.
Iconic sculptural ‘giants’ create a wayfinding element to draw people to the foreshore. Their scale alluding to that of the adjacent Scenic Railway inside Luna Park, each sculpture will relate educational aspects of the Yalukut Weelam clan and the larger Boon Wurrung tribe.
The design improved pedestrian crossovers, enhanced visual links, created interpretive nodes and integrating the jetty into the existing foreshore infrastructure. The nodes include seating, educational and historical signage, artwork based on aboriginal lore and a continuation of natural textured paving lineally uniting the jetty, foreshore and Acland Street.
The inspiration of the form and pattern to the proposed jetty structure was derived from the beach sands of St Kilda during low tide. Just as the beach itself presents a three-dimensional aspect during tidal fluctuations, The Pointe establishes a multi-tiered interaction with its environment. The Jetty Walk enables a closer approach to the water and lateral viewing of the created Little Penguin habitat underneath the central pier. This central Lookout Pointe rises 3 metres at its end, creating a higher vantage point as a terminus with new, unobstructed views of Port Phillip Bay and the foreshore.