Virtually destroyed by fire in October 2010, the 140 year old pier reopened in May 2016 following a £14.2m HLF supported restoration project. Designmap were appointed to develop the interpretation plan and design the interpretation scheme.
Reflecting the spirt of the pier, we created external installations featuring fun physical interactivites such as a 'topsy-turvy' periscope which enables visitors to see through the deck to the structure below and 'dance steps' where you can waltz with a partner on the spot where the 1930s ballroom stood.
The balustrade at the pier perimeter featured laser cut profiles of 'things that can be seen from the pier deck' such as fish, birds, and ships.
An 'on-this-spot' trail helps visitors discover where Jimmy Hendrix and the Clash played and where Professor Davenport - a local stunt performer - cycled off the pier.
Within the visitor centre we needed to create impactful interpretive installations that could be quickly dismantled to free the spaces for commercial events hire - a key income stream for HPC. The design of these units was inspired by the pier structure.
The Visitor centre also included 2 digital archive explorer stations and 3 large format touch tables housing a digital interactive 'bagatelle' game which dynamically draws content from the archive.
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