Brighton West Pier

The skeletal iron remains of the West Pier rise out of the English Channel, disconnected from the shoreline by a deliberate gap in the boardwalk. Built in eighteen sixty-six, it served as a pleasure pier where thousands strolled above the tides to hear bands play or watch light displays. In two thousand three, two fires destroyed the remaining concert hall and theater. Engineers abandoned the structure to the sea, letting the rusting metal frame become a permanent, slowly eroding sculpture in the surf.