Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
Hall Street Pier
The famous Ladybird speedboat of Nelson, BC, dominated regattas from 1922 until it was retired in 1966. The rebirth of Hall Street Pier began as a “speculative interpretation” of the legendary watercraft and has resulted in nothing less than the resurgence of the beating heart of a community.
Home to various boat clubs since its original construction in 1892, when it served as a stop for paddlewheelers on Kootenay Lake, the pier had been rebuilt and renovated numerous times before, most recently in 1986. Eventually, the platform became too narrow and restrictive as a year-round social space for citizens — it was also becoming structurally unsafe — and in 2020, the city decided it was time for a replacement.
This latest iteration delivers a bold placemaking moment by the water, one created through community engagement. From the outset, it was determined that the project would be a collaborative effort involving a stable of volunteers, stakeholders, and local woodworkers and suppliers, and it would celebrate Nelson’s rich history of woodworking, steel fabricating and love of water.
Led by the design team at MBAC and Matthew Stanley (whose firm, Stanley Office of Architecture, served as the architect of record), the design of the new pier was inspired by the Ladybird’s streamlined and aerodynamic form. Defining the entrance to the pier is a sleek wood and steel skeleton that is sandwiched between two slatted cedar wood surfaces angled at a bias to produce a compelling spatial complexity that moves from opaque to transparent when viewed from different vantage points; the canopy also protects a venue for community events and programs. From here, the widened gangway extends out over the water before stepping down to an enclosed publicly accessible swimming area and docks for fishing and mooring. As for the Ladybird itself, it will take pride of place on the land-facing side of the entrance in a specially made climate controlled glass pavilion.
Successfully stitching together land and lake, the new Hall Street Pier reconnects the city to one of its greatest amenities and provides both a truly lovely space for events like markets, concerts and community programming as well as a generator for everyday strolls, informal gatherings, people-watching and, of course, swimming and boating.
Team: Marc Boutin and Nathaniël Wagenaar with Josh TeBokkel, Kalie Widmer and Tony Leong (MBAC); Matthew Stanley (SOA); Fast + Epp; Prism; Geotechnical; Pennco Engineering; Deverney Engineering; SNC Lavalin; Mass Environmental
The rebirth of Hall Street Pier has resulted in nothing less than the resurgence of the beating heart of a community.
