THe Van Alen Building

The Van Alen Building Case Study

Description

The Van Alen Building is a highly modern development of apartments that also complements the history and character of Brighton's Marine Parade. Designed by PRC Fewster.

Formerly occupied by a petrol station, the site had for a long time been a gap in one of Brighton's finest seafront facades that includes a number of Regency houses by Charles Busby. Its high position on the cliff above Madeira Drive not only provides panoramic views across the English Channel but also made it necessary to find an architectural solution that would match the building line when viewed from the beachfront.

Berkeley Homes' brief was to create the maximum number of two or three bedroom apartments, whilst ensuring that all were as wide as possible and all would have sea views. The apartments should have direct access to and from an underground car park. To the rear of the seafront building, two affordable homes should be added to an existing block of mews houses and four new houses constructed.

Design process

Berkeley Homes' brief was to create the maximum number of two or three bedroom apartments, whilst ensuring that all were as wide as possible and all would have sea views. The apartments should have direct access to and from an underground car park. To the rear of the seafront building, two affordable homes should be added to an existing block of mews houses and four new houses constructed.

The architect's aim was to achieve an overtly modern building that remained in keeping with the character and historic shapes of its neighbours without attempting any kind of pastiche.

Key to the architectural solution was to find a way to follow the shape of the site, to retain the building line between the premises on either side of the site and, at the same time, provided the required sea views from apartments at all levels. This was achieved by creating three matching stepped blocks, together with a smaller block containing the entrance to the building from Marine Parade and a small concierge flat.

The right angles of the block are softened on the south side by jutting curves of glass and white render which, when coupled with the use of stainless steel and the glass fronted balconies, have strong echoes of 1930's modernism.

Proposing a modern solution in an historic seafront location required considerable discussion with both the local authority and English Heritage. Plans for the building were considered by the Royal Fine Arts Commission. The Van Alen Building, named after Williamvan Alen, the architect of New York's Chrysler Building was completed in 2001.

CABE Case Study