With the centenary of the Titanic tragedy and the stranding
of the Costa Concordia, ocean liners are in the headlines more than they have
been for many years.
 |
| Sunset, 9 February 2012 |
This photograph shows not a massive liner waiting to
strike anchor and sail off into the sunset, but Marine Court, a huge Art Deco
apartment block which dominates the seafront at St. Leonards-on-Sea. The building opened in 1937 and was in its time the tallest block of flats
in Britain. Less famous than the Art Deco De la Waar Pavillion at next door Bexhill, Marine Court is none the less an iconic structure typical of the nautical arm of the Art-Deco design movement.
Marine Court was modelled on the Queen Mary, Cunard's
famous liner which first sailed in 1934. To describe it takes a mixture of
architectural and nautical terms. At the eastern end, the curved lower floors
protrude like a ship’s bow and the floors above recede like the stacked decks
of a liner. At the west end the balconies end in a graceful curl, leaving a gap
at the stern. The architects, Kenneth Dalgleish and Roger K Pullen, stopped
short of adding portholes but it’s a simple but effective set of visual clues.
On a sunny day, residents could feel like they were enjoying a luxury cruise
from the comfort of their own flat.
However, not everyone could see the bright side. A
competition to name the building had suggestions like ‘Monstrosity Mansions’
and ‘Have No Care House’. When it opened it contained 153 flats and 3
restaurants. In the 1960s it was home to The Cobweb, also known as the Witch
Doctor - a nightclub that saw Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and other luminaries
play. Today, it's much quieter and the "comfort superstore" that
occupies the ground floor is more suited to its current, mostly elderly
inhabitants.
Although in full daylight today Marine Court can be see to have grown rather shabby, it still retains some original features internally and was Grade II listed in 1999. Despite its listing much of the Art Deco detailing has been compromised by double glazing and rogue DIY. But it could have been a lot worse. Marine Court is still standing and being lived in. It looks like it has a few stories to tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment