Seaside pier wins architect award
May 22, 2009
Four buildings in Kent - including a seaside pier - have won awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The winning projects were Deal Pier, a timber shelter, a converted WWII structure, and Quarterhouse - Folkestone's new-build arts venue.Judges said Deal Pier was "a beautiful addition to the town and seascape".
They said: "It provides perfectly the experience a pier building should; that of being part of, as well as framing, views of the sea."
'Bold icon'
El Ray in Dungeness, a four-roomed timber shelter that re-used a railway carriage as a galley kitchen, included both re-used and bespoke construction, and was said to be "an eccentric addition" to the landscape.
And Bofors Tower in Dunkirk had converted a decaying World War II gun emplacement into a weekend retreat.
Judges said the structure on the site of a Scheduled Ancient Monument, had all the ingredients of impossible enterprise and had created an unusual home.
Quarterhouse was described as "the focal point and symbol of the regeneration plans for Folkestone".
Judge said: "The building is a beacon at night, lighting up the street and a bold icon within the street scene."
Source: BBC.co.uk
