This RIBA competition scheme is for a new series of seafront structures in the seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. A regular grid of structural fins provide an environmental filter and make a delicate, yet assertive addition to Bexhill’s seafront architecture.
The line of the twisting roof is dictated by the angle and path of the winter sun rising up to the East to catch the morning rays whilst tilting down to the West against the prevailing wind and rain.
To make the structures affordable and efficient, a kit of parts was developed consisting of Cor-ten steel and plywood components cut from standard size sheet materials that have a natural affinity with coastal structures such as groins and rusty sheet piling.
The project was a finalist in the RIBA/ Bexhill ‘New Wave’ Design Competition in 2010.