Erith Pier: Reimagining a historic pier

As part of our work for the London Borough of Bexley to rethink and transform pockets of Erith (see separate project Erith Riverside Gardens), Erect Architecture were commissioned to prepare a feasibility study to explore ideas for reactivating Erith Pier.

The pier has a notable history and is the only one of its kind that still exists on the Thames. Originally built by the Victorians as a passenger and pleasure pier for day-trippers visiting Erith, it later took on an industrial use as Erith changed from a popular leisure resort to a busy port area. Today the pier is largely used by anglers and walkers who enjoy the tranquil river environment. In recent years the pier has become a prominent location in Erith’s social calendar, with the annual Pier Festival proving popular with locals.

Our vision for reactivating the pier proposes the creation of different zones for play, leisure and micro businesses. Existing dilapidated pier infrastructure is brought back to use to create a docking point for passenger boats. At the centre of the proposal is the creation of a new Learning Centre dedicated to the Tidal Thames, harnessing the pier’s unique location as a gateway to the Thames Estuary and the opportunities this presents for learning about the river’s natural and industrial heritage.

The design negotiates some major constraints, principally the risk of flooding and the loadbearing capacity of the existing pier structure. To ensure an appropriate level of longevity for the building the design complies with the planned future raising of the river’s flood defences. Building options put forward include an option for a ‘building on stilts’ as well as a ‘building on podium’, both raised above the pier deck to cope with high water levels. The ‘building on podium’ option presents opportunities for landscaped stepped seating around the building, whilst the ‘building on stilts’ design turns the building into a prominent elevated object in the riverscape and frees up the area under the building for public use.