Queenscliff Ferry Terminal floats to Design Award final

THE Queenscliff Ferry Terminal has been announced as a finalist in the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

The terminal’s design is the result of a 10-year collaboration between the landmark’s operator, Searoad Ferries, and its designer, F2 Architecture.

The structure was officially completed in March last year and houses Australia’s largest ferry service.

Sailing between Queenscliff and Sorrento, the service carries more than 950,000 passengers across more than 8,200 crossings each year.

Its recognition as a finalist follows its win at the international Architecture Masterprize Awards last year where it was categorised as one of the “best of the best”.

Intended to celebrate both Queenscliff’s rich maritime history and the historical passage that navigates Port Phillip Bay, the terminal’s design references both the character of the surrounding coastal landscape and the nearby lifeboat shed, which dates back to 1923.

The terminal takes the form of an arched structure and includes a series of sheltered public spaces both around and within the building, designed to frame views that engage local rituals, historical structures and the surrounding landscape.

The terminal is cladded in marine-grade stainless steel.

This material was chosen for its ability to withstand the harsh conditions typical of its coastal location as well as long-term, heavy use of the ferry terminal.

A novel use for the material, this type of stainless steel had not previously been used in this form or to this extent within the country.

For Searoad Ferries, the design of the structure has also enhanced the range of facilities available to passengers and the flow of patrons throughout the terminal.

Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks said Queenscliff Ferry Terminal along with each of the finalists, showcase the “diversity of Victoria’s design industry”.

“Good design has the power to change our lives.

“The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards recognise the work and ingenuity of the designers, architects and design-led businesses that make our state a world-renowned leader in the field.”

The artificial reef units that make up the recently installed Dell Eco Reef in Clifton Springs have also been named a finalist in the awards’ Product Design category.

The winners of the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards will be announced in March.