ARCHITECTURE // DOG POO???

Certain words are often attached to English seaside towns such as traditional, quaint and charming. Upon my visit to one of these towns recently I visited a building which not only goes against the grain, it jumps out of the water and slaps the stereotypes square in the jaw.

Littlehamptons' East Beach Cafe is an example of things to come (hopefully!!) for struggling resorts the length of the coast. Striking to say the least, the Cafe has taken centre stage on the promenade of the small south coast town not exactly renown for its striking architecture, until now that is.

On a cold, wet early winters day I ventured down to see what all the fuss was about. Heatherwick Studios were commissioned to design a structure which could both help preserve the picturesque seafront from over-development and provide a new focal point that locals and tourists alike would be proud to call their own.

The striking ribboned steel outer shell certainly looks like nothing else in the town, yet it manages to seamlessly blend into the landscape by resembling something you might find washed up. Indeed its outer shell provides not only a striking façade to admire, it manages to withstand all that the English channel has to throw at it. On sunnier days, the glass front opens onto the beach to provide al-fresco drinking and dining on a par with anywhere on the English coast.

I for one found it hard to resist and had to sample its delights, not at least to regain my normal body temperature. When inside it all makes sense straight away, the harsh exterior transforms the inside into something warm and inviting with a view that dreamers yearn for. The food I hear is not that bad either.

And where is the link to the dogs I hear you cry? Well amongst some locals it is affectionately referred to as 'the dog poo'.