East Beach Café, Littlehampton
Designer: Heatherwick Studio // Date: 2007East Beach Café is Thomas Heatherwick's first completed building; it replaces a near derelict beach kiosk on Littlehampton seafront. Heatherwick Studio's challenge was to design a weatherproof and graffiti proof structure within a long narrow footprint that would provide a place of 'prospect and refuge' for beach users, all on a tight budget.
Heatherwick wanted to move away from the traditional seaside aesthetic of white or pastel colours and instead to design a structure that represented a new approach to the relationship between a building and its surroundings. He designed an outer shell of diagonally sliced steel ribbons which wrap up and over the building, with one long window wall open to the seafront.
The exposed location demanded a design that could weather constant battering by the elements, with the high salt content in the air speeding up the natural degradation of the building materials. Heatherwick designed a monocoque steel shell using the principles of ship building. This shell was manufactured off—site using local expertise. Advanced Digital 3D modelling made the construction possible.
The old beach kiosk had outdoor seating which, in bad weather, had to be stored indoors so it could only open when the weather was good. Heatherwick's design maximizes the available space to provide indoor seating for 60, as well as additional sheltered seating outside. The aim was to create a place of 'prospect and refuge' with impressive sea views, open whatever the weather.
Before East Beach Cafe opened there were limited amenities in the area, particularly in bad weather. By creating a design destination the new East beach Café has stimulated local trade and the area is experiencing the Guggenheim effect (named after the transforming effect the Guggenheim Gallery has had on Bilbao in Northern Spain). The bold design stands out in striking contrast to, and at the same time complements, the local landscape.
YOUR OBJECT: