Michael Spooner, whilst at architecture practice dRMM, was responsible for the redesign of Hastings Pier, the project which has scooped UK’s most prestigious architectural award.

The 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize, awarded for the building that has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of British architecture over the past year, recognised the redevelopment of the fire-ravaged Victorian pier as a ‘masterpiece of regeneration and inspiration’  (RIBA President and Jury Chair, Ben Derbyshire).

Michael Spooner, Senior Lecturer on the University of Brighton’s Interior Architecture BA(Hons) was responsible from inception: formulating the brief and design, securing Heritage Lottery Funding and Planning consent, and bringing this complex and celebrated project to site.

The ‘people’s pier’ represents a community-led project that required a lateral approach to problem-solving, sensitivity to historical context and a strategic redefinition of the pier typology for the 21st century.

The 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize judges said: ‘Hastings Pier has evolved the idea of what architecture is and what architects should do.’ Affectionately nicknamed ‘the Plank’ by local residents, the project is a reflection of the eclectic community spirit of Hastings and St Leonards, serving both community and visitors as a flexible, public space for limitless variations of activities and events.

Find out more about our Interior Architecture BA(Hons).