Lewes Road revealed
The detailed brickwork at Lewes Road is being gradually revealed as the scaffolding is dismantled.
The scheme occupies a prominent position at the interface between the Victorian and Regency townscape and postwar areas. Celebrating its position as a landmark the building is a solid, monolithic object clad in brick. The facade is minimal and paired down, relying on the deep window reveals to define it. On a sunny day, these deep window reveals will cast a crisp shadow, reinforcing the depth and quality of the facade.
Rather than separate the plinth of the building from the upper section with a horizontal element, the brick cladding continues to the pavement, grounding the building.
The brick, BEA Polar Metric is a handmade textured brick and is made by double firing a dark coloured brick. The final firing has a white slurry wash applied to the brick giving it a light but translucent appearance.
The balance between key materials and basic but refined detailing allows the building to provide an attractive, contemporary addition to the area whilst holding its prominent and exposed position alongside the main route toward the Brighton seafront.
