How about a little blast of summer on this winter’s day? Here’s post I first wrote in June of this year, about the fascinating seaside town of Littlehampton…
Who says a day trip to the seaside can’t turn into an architectural tour? Not this geek! I headed down to Littlehampton for a walk on the beach to “blow the cobwebs away,” as my Dad says, and found myself exploring the town’s fascinating architecture…
The story of Littlehampton is really the story of local residents Jane Wood and Sophie Murray. When the owner of a burger kiosk on East Beach gained planning permission for a much bigger restaurant, they spotted an opportunity and bought the site. They wanted to create something with much more architectural merit than what he had planned, something that would act as a draw to the area, so they commissioned architect Thomas Hetherwick. The plans for his driftwood-inspired building were met with cheers and not a single objection. The East Beach Cafe, constructed by local welders Ernie Bayley and David Bowness, opened in 2007 to acclaim from both architecture and food critics. It has gone on to win multiple awards in both categories not least the 2008 RIBA Prize for Architecture.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, Jane and Sophie then commissioned a young architect who had just graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture to create his first building – the West Beach Cafe. That young architect was Asif Khan, since listed amongst W Magazine’s 2013 New Guard, The Telegraph’s 2012 Amazing 15 and the Observer Newspaper’s 2011 Ones to Watch. The West Beach Cafe was again built by local people.
The two cafes had an amazing impact on the area, increasing the number of visitors and attracting investment from upmarket supermarkets and cafes. In 2008 Jane and Sophie read unimaginative regeneration plans for the seafront. With a now passionate belief in the power of good design to improve environments, they challenged the plans and proposed instead the longest bench in the world. Designed by Studio Weave with the help of children from Connaught Junior School and completed 2010, it now runs the length of the promenade.
It just shows what believing in design and thinking big can achieve – and proves I should get down to the beach more often!
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- out and about :: colour run
- out and about :: coppicing with sebastian cox
- out and about :: clerkenwell design week 2014
- out and about :: clerkenwell design week 2014 preview
