Marks Barfield Architects

Already dubbed “the most radical landing stage ever built in Britain” by the Independent Review, the pier’s design is highly original both aesthetically and in its structural engineering.

The brief was to design a new fully accessible Landmark pier serving a new boat service connecting - Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the London Eye.

The whole idea of a pier has been rethought:-

1. By developing an elegant, innovative engineering solution to the method of securing the pier; replacing the large visually dominating vertical dolphins and with virtually invisible radial arms.

2. By developing an architectural concept that integrates the ramp, steps and pontoon shelter within a single folded form defined by continuous surfaces of plate steel, more akin to a stealth boat than the traditional floating pontoon toped by an unrelated shelter.

The engineering innovations helped delivering the project to a tight budget, reduced maintenance costs and enhanced the pier’s appearance. There was close co-operation between Engineer, Architect, Artist, Contractor and Fabricator to meet the brief. The pontoon incorporates Angela Bulloch’s ‘Flash and Tidal’ artwork, which has two elements: flourescent lighting which changes colour in rhythm with the tidal cycle and 63 flashing lights on the external surface of the pontoon. The lights perform a symphony of light over 150 hours.

RIBA Award 2004; D&AD Award 2004; ICE commendation 2003