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st kildaharbourconceptplan.

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1. Experience 042. Reality (What) & Purpose (Why) 063. Vision 084. Concept Plan 105. St Kilda Pier & Sea Pool 146. Marina 227. Inner Harbour Precinct 268. Boat Yard 329. Staging & Implementation 40

Table of Contents

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what do we love about st kilda harbour?

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St Kilda Harbour is about water; the experience of walking out over water, listening to the sound of water, watching strange creatures in the water, observing the incremental changes of the colour and texture on the surface of the water. It is about rough water on one side, quiet water on the other. It is about looking back towards the city over water.

St Kilda Harbour is about the sky and the weather. It is a place to observe the subtle changes in light and colour. It is about an unobstructed horizon, and seeing the sun set over water. It is a place that every time you visit will appear different. From the Harbour you can watch the weather move in across the Bay and watch the sky reflected in the water. At St Kilda Harbour, the sky and weather is amplified; there is a new season every few moments.

St Kilda Harbour is about all the activities and events that the water supports. It is about boats dotted in the Harbour, the coming and going of different boats, the sound of rigging slapping the mast, the launching of yachts, the sight of boats in dry dock, and the sounds of an active harbour. These activities draw people like a magnet.

St Kilda Harbour is about people. It is about the languid stroll along the promenade on a balmy night, it is about the brisk walk along the Pier on a windy day, it is about lounging on St Kilda beach waiting to have a swim. It is all gentle strolls and no hurry. It is about throwing a line into the water and waiting. As with all great public spaces, it is about watching others watching.

St Kilda Harbour is about removing oneself from the bustle of the city, and taking in the St Kilda seaside experience.

01. Experience

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why do we need to changest kilda harbour?

Existing aerial perspective of St Kilda Harbour

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02. Reality & PurposeSt Kilda Harbour is currently in extremely poor and tired condition. It is a 1950’s harbour trying to operate in the 21st century. Infrastructure including the existing marina and the Pier are dilapidated, unsafe and need to be reconstructed. The harbour itself is exposed to severe wave conditions during storm events that pose serious safety hazards for harbour and fleet activities.

The existing working harbour is inappropriate in its current configuration, and needs to be upgraded to reflect changes in the nature and organization of recreational boating and ferry services. There are major functional conflicts between harbour activities, including the operation of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron slip way and the pedestrian promenade. Pedestrian amenity is low, with degraded public landscapes, despite the recognition by all that St Kilda harbour and adjacent foreshore areas are a major destination for people and much loved by all Melburnians.

All of these problems and issues undermine and detract from the quality of experience that people love about the harbour. Consequently, the purpose of the Concept Plan is to rebuild the infrastructure of St Kilda Harbour such that these experiences are retained and enhanced.

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what is the vision for st kilda harbour?

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03. VisionSt Kilda Harbour must become a vibrant working harbour in harmony with ecological processes; a 21st century harbour that captures the essence of ‘St Kilda-ness’. It must recognize that different people will have different experiences when they go there and that the design of the precinct must protect, support and enhance this wonderful diversity of experiences and activities that people love about the harbour rather than promote singular gestures. The harbour must balance the range of expectations and requirements to ensure that no one element / experience outweighs another. The harbour must respond to the history and evolution of the foreshore and respect the important heritage value of the precinct including the historic Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) facility. The harbour must promote the highest level of environmental stewardship.

Because the Harbour requires infrastructure that will last at least another 75 years, it is essential that whatever we design and build now must be of outstanding civic and cultural merit, such that in 75 years time, people will acknowledge the important civic gesture made generations earlier, in much the same way that we herald the foresight of people such as Carlo Catani for creating such legacies as the Catani Gardens over a century ago.

The following are the four major ingredients for the new St Kilda Harbour –

• StKildaPier&SeaPool • Marina • InnerHarbourPrecinct • BoatYard

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04. Concept Plan

KEY ELEMENTS:

01. New St Kilda Pier & sea pool02. Wave protection / swimming island03. 600 berth marina04. Northern wave attenuator05. Boat repair & storage yard06. Inner harbour 07. All access swimming ramp 08. RMYS public forecourt / plaza09. Events beach10. St Kilda foreshore promenade 11. Penguin observation & protection boardwalk

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Aerial perspective of St Kilda Pier & Harbour

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19200 6000

2500

Integrated wave screen into Pier edge (shown in red)

Uninterrupted horizon views

05. St Kilda Pier & Sea PoolSt Kilda Pier has always been an iconic destination for Melburnians. Due to the dilapidated condition of the existing pier, there is an exciting opportunity to rebuild the pier, combining the wonderful experiential qualities of the pier (which we all love) with the pragmatic engineering requirements to provide a safe harbour through an integrated wave screen wall.

The form of the new pier has evolved through the careful integration of a wave attenuation screen into the outer edge of the pier. This wave screen, coupled with the island, provide the necessary wave protection within the harbour, meeting the important goal of creating a safe harbour. The integration of the wave screen provides an exciting opportunity to create a salt water sea pool (2.5 metres deep) towards the end of the pier. The plan provides the necessary distance (approximately 20m) between the wave screen and the main pier walkway to limit wave splash onto pedestrians during rough sea days.

One of the important benefits of the integrated wave screen solution is the protection of the important views from the pier out into Port Phillip Bay. The gentle arc of the outer edge of the pier (with the in built wave screen) becomes an alternative pedestrian pathway on calmer days, protecting the uninterrupted horizon line views. Importantly, this retains one of the great experiential qualities of the pier, with rough water on one side and calmer water on the other.

KEY ELEMENTS:

01. New St Kilda Pier02. Sea pool03. Timber seating (tiered)04. Integrated wave screen (into Pier edge)05. Kerby’s kiosk06. Rock breakwater extension to underside of pier07. Swimming & wave protection island08. All access swimming ramp & water playspace09. Extension of Pier to Jacka Boulevard10. Inner harbour lower boardwalk11. Penguin observation & protection boardwalk

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Shoreline evolution & outline of historic sea bath structures in water

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The design of the new St Kilda Pier also responds to the great St Kilda tradition of open sea baths. Over the last 160 years, there have been numerous timber sea bath structures constructed out in Port Phillip Bay. The integration of the salt water sea pool into the end of the pier (made possible through the creative design of the wave attenuation screen) continues this great tradition of sea bathing at St Kilda. The new St Kilda Pier returns to the historic original alignment approximately 10 metres south of the current pier. The pier is also carried right back to Jacka Boulevard as it once did, reinforcing the important connection of St Kilda to the harbour and water.

View of St Kilda Pier from Kerby’s turret

Historic sea bath structuresPier connected to Jacka Blv

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RL -2.6 PIER

39102000014220 1870

60006000

RL -2.0 WAVESCREEN

RL -0.9 HIGH TIDE

RL +2.0 SEABED

RL -0.3 LOW TIDE

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Primary Benefits of the Plan:

1. Provides for an exciting new St Kilda Pier. The Pier will protect and enhance the experience that we love of walking out on the pier to the unobstructed horizon line across the bay. The Pier will be reconstructed on the historic original alignment which meets Jacka Boulevard, thereby helping to connect St Kilda to the water. 2. Maintains the important vista directly down the pier towards Kerby’s kiosk.

3. Provides for high quality public space and pedestrian infrastructure including seating, shelter, lighting and low level fishing platforms.4. Integrates the wave screen into the outer edge of the pier, providing wave protection for the harbour.5. Provides a new St Kilda sea pool, for swimming and viewing.6. Provides a new offshore swimming island that forms an integral component of the wave attenuation for the harbour. The island contains timber sunbathing platforms, diving boards and other water play infrastructure.7. Provides an ‘all access’ swimming ramp from the promenade, adjacent to the pier.

RL -2.6 PIER

39102000014220 1870

60006000

RL -2.0 WAVESCREEN

RL -0.9 HIGH TIDE

RL +2.0 SEABED

RL -0.3 LOW TIDE

Section AA

Section BB

Section CC

Section DD

Long Section

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View of St Kilda Pier Sea Pool & Kerby’s Kiosk

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St Kilda Sea Pool

Cut into the pier is the 80 x 25 metre elliptical pool. Unlike the main concrete pier, the edge of the pool is a series of timber seating steps that cascade into the water, allowing for sunbathing and seating opportunities around the entire perimeter, as well as views between the tiers to the harbour beyond. The exact dimensions of the pool (and number of steps) fluctuate depending on the tide. Due to the integration of the wave screen into the southern edge of the pier, the water within the pool will always remain substantially calmer than outside in the bay. The location of the pool towards the end of the pier is also supported by the proximity to Kerby’s kiosk. The sea pool is an important component within the larger St Kilda beach swimming precinct which incorporates the beach, the indoor Sea Baths, the all access water ramp and the offshore swimming island. These experiences will further reinforce St Kilda beach as a premier beach side and swimming destination.

Sea Bath Precedents

Eastern Beach, Geelong Kastrup, Copenhagen Kastrup, Copenhagen Wiley’s Sea Bath, Sydney

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06. Marina

KEY ELEMENTS:

01. Kerby’s kiosk02. Visitor berths both sides03. Swing mooring locations04. Existing rock breakwater05. New marina Precinct 01: 250 berths (red boats)06. New marina Precinct 02: 350 berths (white boats)07. Marina boardwalk (public access primary walkway)08. Rock breakwater extension (penguin habitat enhancement)09. Northern floating wave attenuator10. Deeper water boat fairway access channel11. Penguin observation & protection boardwalk

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Existing marina layout (200 berths)24

The marina layout allows a substantial increase in the number of berths over time, while ensuring an efficient footprint within the harbour with minimal visual interruption to the harbour vista. The number of berths has been expanded from 200 to 600, with 250 berths allocated to Precinct 01, with the remaining 350 available in Precinct 02. The layout accommodates a range of different sized boats up to 20 metres in length, with deeper draught boats located closer to the harbour entry and access channel. Because the expansion of the marina occurs mainly on the western side (into the ‘mill pond’) of the existing dilapidated marina, the new marina does not visually dominate the harbour when viewed from the land.

The new marina has a central boardwalk which allows public access along the spine. People can experience the boats first hand while ensuring boat security to the individual floating pontoons. A limited number of swing moorings are located between the new marina and the pier, adding to the ambience of the harbour. Temporary visitor berths are located along both sides of the access timber jetty from Kerby’s to the new marina. The marina is protected from the north by a floating wave attenuator and from the south by the wave screen built into the outside edge of the pier, ensuring an acceptable wave climate within the harbour.

Primary Benefits of the Plan:

1. Provides an opportunity for increased number of berths over time, while maintaining the uncluttered harbour feel and water vistas. The new marina Precinct 01 will accommodate 250 berths and Precinct 02 350 berths.

Harbour atmosphere

Proposed marina layout (600 berths)25

2. Allows for public access along the marina primary walkway spine so that people can experience the boats at close range.3. Locates swing moorings close to the new pier to enhance harbour atmosphere.4. Provides enhancement to the penguin habitat through the extension of the northern tip of the breakwater. Restricted access along the breakwater will be maintained.5. Provide enhanced protection of the penguins by restricting access onto the breakwater and constructing a penguin observation and viewing boardwalk that maintains suitable separation between human & penguin.6. Creates an acceptable wave climate in the marina area (safe harbour) through the construction of northern and southern wave protection devices.7. Provides for security gates to all floating pontoons to ensure security of boats.

Active, vibrant harbour

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07. Inner Harbour PrecinctThe success of the Harbour will be judged by how well it integrates into the surrounding context; the harbour must be an integral, connected component of St Kilda. The precinct integration centers around the Inner Harbour, Pier Entry, Catani Gardens and the foreshore promenade, and protecting and enhancing the sense of connection to the water.

The Inner Harbour becomes the active centre of St Kilda Harbour, an exciting event space that maintains St Kilda’s important connection to the water. The careful placement of the boat repair and storage yard to the north of the existing RMYS clubhouse ensures that the important view lines towards the water from the Upper Esplanade, Jacka Boulevard and Pier Entry are protected, maintaining a strong connection to the water at Pier Entry (a key design principle). The opening up of the RMYS frontage, coupled with the creation of the new public edge to the harbour (incorporating ferry berthing, fishing platforms, tiered timber seating) provides an exciting opportunity to create an important public event ‘water’ space.

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KEY ELEMENTS:

01. New St Kilda Pier02. Pier extension back to Jacka Boulevard03. Boat repair & storage yard04. Ferry berthing & turning basin05. Low level public boardwalk & fishing platforms06. Public observation platform (building roof)07. RMYS clubhouse08. RMYS public forecourt / plaza09. Ferry ticketing, kiosk & public toilets10. Inner harbour event space11. All access swimming ramp12. Historic bluestone sea wall 13. Pier Entry (Captain Cook Gardens)14. Restricted vehicle access to boat yard 01.

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Primary Benefits of the Plan:

1. Maintains important water / harbour vistas from the land and promotes St Kilda’s connection to the water.2. Maintains important view lines within and around the harbour.3. Creates a public inner harbour ‘events’ space / water activities space.4. Provides a continuous timber boardwalk around the inner harbour event space, with tiered seating and low level fishing / boating platforms. This includes access along the southern edge of the boat repair yard allowing public viewing of boat yard and inner harbour activities.5. Provides for ferry ticketing booth, kiosk, ferry terminal and public toilets located in a new operations building, a component of the boat repair & storage yard.6. Provides for an observation deck on the roof of the operations building.7. Provides for ferry, water taxi and tourism charter boat berthing and public berthing on both sides of the inner harbour, including a ferry turning basin.8. Minimizes the amount of dredging required within the harbour, thereby minimizing disruption to existing sea grass beds (no net loss to be managed).9. Creates a new RMYS public forecourt / plaza (through the removal of the existing boat repair yard and relocation of the proposed Junior Academy facility to the proposed boat repair & storage yard in the harbour). 10. Upgrades the adjacent beach for ‘events’. 11. Maintains kite surfing launch area.12. Protects the integrity of the historic bluestone sea wall along Pier Road.13. Respects the legacy of the Catani Gardens and rock walling / seating nooks by limiting car access along Pier Road.14. Converts Pier Road in front of RMYS to a new promenade and public open space.15. Improves the connection to the foreshore promenade, currently under construction.16. Extends the new St Kilda Pier back to Jacka Boulevard and upgrades the Pier entry.17. Maintains full public pedestrian access to the water’s edge.

Before - Existing RMYS (Building footprint 1000m2)

AlternateJunior Sailing

Academy Site

After -Proposed RMYS forecourt

ExistingBoat yard

Carpark

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RMYS Forecourt

One of the critical bottlenecks within the Harbour precinct has always been the area in front of the RMYS boat repair yard. This would be exacerbated even more if the currently approved Junior Sailing Academy building was also located at this site. It is important to maintain a continuous pedestrian promenade along the waterfront, with full public access to the water, and wide enough to cater for the growing volumes of pedestrian traffic using the space. If the Junior Sailing Academy was alternatively located within the proposed operations building, it would free up the space in front of the RMYS, creating a new public forecourt which is a threshold to the clubhouse, and allowing the public to move around the historic Catani Gardens and past the building to connect more easily to the St Kilda Pier.

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RMYS Forecourt & Active Public Harbour Edge

Existing view of Pier Entry, RMYS repair yard, slipway and pedestrian pinch point.

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View of Historic St Kilda Pier & Sea Bath Structure

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08. Boat YardSt Kilda has a long tradition of built structures such as the timber sea baths, located out in the bay. The proposed boat repair and storage yard continues this tradition by creating a slim island-like structure for maritime activities. The maintenance of the waterline at the existing heritage bluestone sea wall ensures that the harbour remains strongly connected back into the rest of St Kilda. The location of the boat repair and storage yard maintains this connection with the water, promoting the important view lines from the Upper Esplanade, Jacka Boulevard and Pier Entry across the harbour out into the bay and back to the city.

The long narrow shape of the boat repair and storage yard carefully reduces the visual impact of the structure from the land, while also minimizing the extent of dredging required to launch boats. The yard requires only a narrow, land based connection (of approximately 10 metres), ensuring the integrity of the existing sea wall and the alignment of the foreshore promenade, as well as minimizing the extent of security fencing.

The consolidation of the boat repair and storage yard and junior sailing academy allows for the important conversion of the current fenced repair yard in front of the RMYS building (approximately 1000m2) into a high quality public space, an extension of the promenade as it moves through Pier Entry. The relocation of all the boat repair equipment and activities to the new secure repair yard ensures far greater public safety and eliminates the current conflict between pedestrians and the fenced boat repair yard, as well as allowing for the demolition of the existing dilapidated slipway.

TYPICAL FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT SUMMARY:

Repair Bay 20.0 x 8.0m 04Repair Bay 20.0 x 6.0m 01Repair Bay 16.0 x 6.0m 08Repair Bay 14.0 x 6.0m 09

TOTAL BOAT REPAIR BAYS 22

Racing Yacht Boat Storage 14

AREA SUMMARY

Boat Repair / Storage Yard 5780m2Operations Building 835 m2Lower Pier Public Access 850 m2Upper Pier Public Access 480 m2

TOTAL 7945 m2

KEY ELEMENTS:

01. Operations building with public observation deck02. Ferry berthing03. Low level public boardwalk (inner harbour edge)04. Upper level public boardwalk05. Inner harbour event space06. Restricted vehicle access to boat yard in front of RMYS07. Racing yacht boat storage08. Repair bays09. Travel lift apron10. Travel lift11. Junior sailing boat ramp and launching beach12. Berthing pontoons13. Cranes

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Operations Building (835 m2)

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KEY ELEMENTS:

01. Public Toilets02. RMYS Junior Sailing Academy03. Ferry ticketing04. Kiosk / Ferry terminal05. Repair Yard Operator06. Ferry berthing07. Security Fencing

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An important component of the proposed repair and storage yard is the inclusion of an active public edge, incorporating the boardwalk component of the inner harbour. Ferry ticketing, a kiosk, ferry waiting terminal and public toilets are located within the operations building, as well as an exciting public observation deck on the roof of the building, allowing for extraordinary viewing of harbour activities and 360 degree vistas. The combination of public and private activities within the structure ensures substantial benefits for all, while maintaining careful separation of these activities necessary for the safe and secure operation of the boat repair yard.

Section GG

Section FF

Section EE

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Active Public Harbour Edge, Observation Deck , Boat Repair & Storage Yard, Junior dinghy launching ramp

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Primary Benefits of the Plan:

1. Avoids reclaiming excessive land from the water. The size mirrors previous historic structures at St Kilda. The form of the boat repair yard minimizes its visual presence within the harbour through the use of forced perspective and tapered form.2. Acknowledges the history of structures built out in the water.3. Locates the boat repair yard to avoid obstructing the connection to the water.4. Provides for a new undercover ferry ticketing area, kiosk, ferry waiting terminal and public toilets.5. Provides for a new public observation deck located on the roof deck of the operations building.6. Provides for environmental improvements with the boat yard serviced to capture wastes and runoff and boat sewage pump out.7. Minimizes amount of obtrusive security fencing.8. Makes for a safer pedestrian environment by limiting conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles/ boats.9. Provides for storage of additional racing yachts (Etchells).10. Allows for modern travel lift equipment for greater ease of slipping boats.11. Provides for boat storage and new beach access for the RMYS Junior Sailing Academy.12. Creates an inner harbour space for events.13. Maintains important view lines around the harbour.14. Locates any contaminated sand, dredged to form the boat access channel, within the capped bunded boat repair yard area.15. Removes the existing dilapidated slipway, eliminating current conflict between pedestrians and slipway activity.16. Respects the historic bluestone sea wall (1901), which is a listed item.17. Protects the boat repair yard slipping and berthing activities through construction of wave attenuation devices to the north and south.

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09. Staging & Implementation

STAGE 1 - YEAR 01

Stage 1(a) Construction of the penguin observation and protection boardwalk

Stage 1(b)Construction of Northern Wave floating attenuator & Breakwater extension.

Stage 1(c) Installation of Floating Marina Precinct 1 & primary public walkway.

STAGE 02 - YEAR 2/3/4

Stage 2(a) Construction of new pier & integrated southern wave protection.

Stage 2(b)Removal of existing pier.

STAGE 03 - YEAR 4 & BEYOND

Stage 3(a) Removal of existing marina.

Stage 3(b) Installation of floating marina precinct 2 (Incremental provision to meet demand).

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STAGE 04 - YEAR 4,5 & 6

Stage 4(a) Construction of boat repair yard (including dredging).

Stage 4(b) Construction of southern wave protection in shore island.

Stage 4(c) Construction ferry wharf & public boardwalk.

Stage 4(d) Construction of operations building.

Stage 4(e) Procurement of boat yard P&E .

Stage 4(f) Demolition & removal of RMYS existing boat yard & slipway.

YEAR 6 - STAGE 5

Precinct Integration works (comprising, pier entry, Pier Road treatment, car parking, beach access for all, RMYS building frontage improvement works, events beach formation, harbour signage/interpretation).

Aerial perspective of St Kilda Pier & Harbour

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Prepared for Parks Victoria by:

Landscape ArchitectureLevel 5 165 Flinders Lane Melbourne 3000Phone 9639 0391

ArchitectureOne Harwood Place Melbourne 3000Phone 9654 622744