The sun has finally put in an appearance and we headed for the South Coast for lunch at the East Beach Café at Littlehampton. The East beach Café is a unique architectural building, and for once the word unique is an appropriate word to use. It was designed by Thomas Heatherwick, an award-winning Architect and Designer, and built in 2007. Click here to see an earlier Post about it with a gallery of images and more information from our previous visit in 2009.
In 2009, still relatively new, the building had a glossy pristine exterior.
What a change several years of salt-laden spray has wrought on the exterior. It is now weathered and rusted, with a rich palette of colours.
As a consequence it feels more engaged within its environment – a rusting hulk, reminiscent of a beached boat in tone if not in silhouette. And although it has always been a photographic gem – largely from a geometric and design perspective – the appearance of rust and weathering has created an added dimension. Colour abstracts abound as the two images here today I hope will show.
Lovely photos: each with its own, quite different appeal. I like the petal-like appearance of the first.
I went over to the café’s website to read about the building, as I was curious whether they had used Cor-Ten steel. I didn’t find that information, but I did read that, after the weathering has taken place, an oil based preservative will be used as a coating, to help preserve the building. I’d wondered about that. The primary reason Galveston has wooden “gingerbread” on its Victorian houses, rather than the wrought iron of New Orleans, is salt spray. It’s a killer!
It must be five years since our last visit here (our daughter had a flat in Brighton about a half-hour drive along the coast), and I was surprised to see how the exterior had changed, and changed for the better. It looked almost ‘plastic’ I thought originally. Certainly salt is a killer, it is very noticeable along the south coast. Many of the buildings near the sea front are painted white (in the fashionable old resorts there are smart Georgian properties to be found), and within a few months of a re-paint there are the tell-tale runs of brown rust below anything metallic..
I remember this building from your earlier post; I like how the metal has rusted, and you make an excellent point about how it is now more engaged with its environment.
You’ve a good memory, Melinda. A fascinating building and I look forward to other opportunities to capture this – the light was quite dull and the best side for images (the side you see in this Post) is north facing so direct sun is going to be rare except very early or very late on summer days. Only about 35mins for us now by car, so an easy drive.
Actually I looked it up and showed it to my husband, who’s an architect. It’s on the list of attractions for our (hypothetical, at this point) trip to England.
Since you’re so close to it, I am hoping that means you’ll be posting many more images.
I will certainly be back to re-visit and re-shoot and to eat – they serve good food. If you ever make it across the pond do let me know
It looks like we’ll be back in 2018 – we’ve promised our older granddaughter a trip to England when she turns 10. I’ll be in touch…!
We must meet up, if I’m spared by The Almighty until then!
Indeed!
Wonderful textures Andy! I imagine the changes wrought by the weather were invisaged by the designer. Nature staking its claim!
What a fascinating building – love the colours and textures
Absolutely right, Sue. I think you live somewhere down this way too, so if you have an opportunity on a good day it is worth a visit. There is car parking immediately behind and they serve some good food.
I’m Surrey, rather than Sussex, but do make the occasional foray down…will have to bear this in mind
A beautiful design and wonderful colours.
It looks so good now – I will be back later in the year hopefully on a sunny day
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