RNLI BRIDLINGTON

Project details

The operational requirements of the lifeboat station necessitate a specific layout and massing which do not lend themselves to a traditional plan form.

Given the immediate built context of The Spa building, a carefully considered modern interpretation of the Art Deco idiom is regarded the most appropriate and desirable for this development.

The Art Deco movement was popularised during the inter-war period. This style embraced technology, symmetry and striking geometry.

It represented glamour, quality, luxury and prestige and as such was used extensively for public building. Art Deco was especially successfully at the seaside; its modern, clean, simple, optimistic and light filled principals suited the aspirations of these emergent attractions, The Bridlington Spa being a textbook example.

Careful design and attention to detail has ensured that the submitted Art Deco design is a sincere and successful addition to Bridlington's townscape.

Substantial massing of the proposed building has been visually mitigated by the effective articulation of elements taking advantage of the bold geometric shapes distinctive to the ArtDeco architectural movement.

The roof replicates the existing arrangement on The Spa Building. An essentially flat but multi-level roofscape enhances the articulation of the overall form and provides a three dimensional interest valuable to views from South Marine Drive and the residential and leisure development which sits above the site.

Importantly it also mitigates the visual impact of the development in views from South Marine Drive towards the seascape vista, Harbour, Spa Building and the headland to the south.

A simple but varied palette of materials of construction combine traditional finishes in an innovative arrangement.

The rendered walls are typical of the Art Deco period and have a light and reflective quality which enhances and enlivens the natural and built environment.

Render has been used throughout the adjacent Conservation Areas and on the adjoining Spa Building and so is a well established building material, allowing the Lifeboat Station to have an immediate complimentary visual relationship with its immediate and wider context.

The large areas of glazing will provide a pleasant juxtaposition of permeability, providing an interesting articulation of the facades and visually mitigate the overall massing.