Giant's Causeway in The Motion Picture?

In The Motion Picture, V'ger creates or extends a walkway between himself and the saucer section of the Enterprise, allowing Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Decker, and the Ilia probe to walk down the hull in order to communicate with V'ger in person.

This walkway consists of hexagonal columns, closely packed but with irregular heights.

It is very reminiscent of the Giant's Causeway:

http://ift.tt/1Ajd08k

http://ift.tt/166WLOg

Did the film's design personnel and/or Robert Wise (director) and/or Alan Dean Foster (screenwriter) take any inspiration from the Giant's Causeway or other well-known columnar eruptions?

(If the answer is "Yes", please provide a source.)