The gaunt and twisted wreckage of historic Hastings Pier in East Sussex, England, UK, photographed seven months after the devastating fire of 2010. The original Victorian pier, founded in 1872, enjoyed a renaissance in the 1960s, when it hosted major international rock and pop acts such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and The Who. Fire destroyed the 2,000 seat venue in 1972, the pier was closed as a dangerous structure and on 5 October 2010, a blaze destroyed its remaining wooden buildings. Rebuilding work was launched in May 2011 and the pier reopened c in April 2016.
Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom: the gaunt and twisted wreckage of historic Hastings Pier photographed seven months after a devastating fire ripped through it in October 2010, destroying 95 per cent of the superstructure. The pier, dating from 1872, was among the best-loved pleasure piers built at English seaside resorts in the late-19th century, during the reign of Queen Victoria. It came into its prime in the 1930s, and enjoyed a spectacular renaissance in the 1960s, when the concert hall became a popular music venue. It hosted British and American bands and artists such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Genesis. The pier has also featured in many films and TV series, including The Dark Man (1951) and Byzantium (2012). Fire destroyed the original 2,000-seater pavilion in 1972 and the structure then sustained major storm damage in 1990. In 2006, the pier was closed to the public because it was unsafe. Despite a Save the Pier campaign and petition, a planned restoration programme was deterred by estimated repair costs of £24 million. The fire which began in the early hours of 5 October 2010 caused severe damage to its remaining wooden buildings. At that time, police believed it was arson. At around the time of this photograph, in May 2011, the first tranche of an £ million grant was released by the UK Heritage Lottery Fund to kickstart the pier’s complete redevelopment. It reopened to the public in April 2016 and the redevelopment by architects dRMM won the 2017 Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious architectural award.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Hastings, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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