Seafront Hotel Award: And the winner is ...
It is the preferred design for the Metropole putting green site next to the De La Warr Pavilion announced yesterday.
A team led by Ahrends, Burton & Koralek (ABK) has been selected as winners of the architectural competition to develop a regeneration master plan for Bexhill town centre.
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Hide AdThe winning design consists of two interlocking curved structures.
One would be a hotel and the other an office block. A separate structure to the west would be for flats.
Among other schemes planned by ABK are:
* A 300-space underground car park beneath the De La Warr and new landscaping to replace the current car park
* A new L-shaped gallery space at the De La Warr
* A new railway booking hall fronting Devonshire Square
* Restoration of listed railway buildings
The putting green siting of the hotel is not final but sparked major controversy in the town.
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Hide AdA protest movement was set up and this week the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism weighed in with its opposition.
A selection panel comprising Rother District Council, the Regional Design Panel, the De La Warr Trust and local regeneration company Sea Space, chose the winning team after analysis of three short-listed design submissions.
That followed a public exhibition and the evaluation of some 850 questionnaires.
Sea Space said: "ABK's architectural style was the most innovative and creative.
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Hide Ad"It was considered that they had strong and bold design ideas supported by a diverse team of experts capable of guiding Bexhill towards a better future.
"Many of the people who returned questionnaires at the exhibition entered detailed comments, providing a more in-depth view of public opinion."