ArchitectureGeelong · Design unveiled
SOM's competition-winning plan for Cunningham Pier in Geelong, Australia
A historic 1855 pier on Corio Bay would gain a promenade, a hotel and a 34-storey trefoil tower.
Cunningham Pier in Geelong, Victoria, was built in 1855 so trains could reach docking ships, and was overhauled in 1929. Today it is mostly a strip of car parking ending in a restaurant and event space. SOM has won a competition, run for developers Gurner Group and Costa Property Group, to turn it into a pedestrianised waterfront over Corio Bay.
The idea is to build alongside the old pier rather than on it, keeping the historic structure below and running a raised public promenade above, which SOM calls the scheme's organising spine. Visitors would arrive through a square with water features, then walk past low buildings with rounded edges and stepped terraces meant to echo water and marine forms. At the far end, a 34-storey tower shaped like three joined cylinders, tapering top and bottom, would overtake the 21-storey Miramar as Geelong's tallest building.
The plan includes a 200-room hotel, shops and restaurants, about 280 apartments, 12 villas with their own yacht berths, and sports courts on floating platforms. SOM also promises new marine habitats to support biodiversity.
This is a design reveal, with no timeline given. One to keep an eye on if you know Geelong's waterfront or follow how cities reuse old piers.
Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 4 November 2026. Read the original
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From Dezeen