On a trip to Littlehampton in West Sussex to hunt down East Beach Cafe designed by Thomas Heatherwick, I came across the longest bench in Britain! Designed by Studio Weave, the bench took inspiration from a charm bracelet and resembles the wooden fences that often flow along the beach. It meanders its way over, around and through the promenade infrastructure. By getting the community involved in the process and final outcome of the bench (leaving their thoughts on it) it guaranteed the function and community use of it to its full potential.
The weather was a let down, but after following the colourful bench in order to reach East Beach Cafe, the unusual piece of architecture which takes reference from an oyster shell, stands out from a great distance, sitting between the edge of the beach plane and the urban environment ofLittlehampton. The individual flowing curvaceous ribbons of steel add diversity and excitement to the landscape. The internal space of the cafe almost resembles a cave, with the ribbon forms replicated on the internal frame but with a more organic nature. The internal white soft form is similar to the delicateness and purity of the inside of an oyster itself. Customers sit in a relaxed and cosy cafe space whilst admiring the beautiful south coast and sampling a fine selection of food and beverages.
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