Table Of ContentArchitecture, Society
and Nature
ARCHITECTURE, SOCIETY AND NATURE
REAKTION BOOKS
ForCarol,JackandHolly
PublishedbyReaktionBooksLtd
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www.reaktionbooks.co.uk
Firstpublished2006
Copyright©2006FredGray
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Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,
withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublishers.
Theauthorandpublishersgratefullyacknowledgesupportforthepublicationofthisbook
byThePaulMellonCentreforStudiesinBritishArt.
PrintedandboundinChinabyToppanPrintingCo.Ltd.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Gray,Fred
Designingtheseaside:asocialandarchitectualhistoryoftheseasideresort
1.Seasidearchitecture– GreatBritain–History2.Seasidearchitecture–History
3.Seasideresorts–GreatBritain–History4.Seasideresorts– History5.GreatBritain–
Sociallifeandcustoms
I.Title
720.9’41
ISBN–10:1861892748
CONTENTS
introduction 7
1 NatureandSeasideArchitecture 17
2 BuildingtheSeaside 45
3 RepresentingtheEdge 65
4 TheSeasideasAnotherPlace 91
5 DesigningResortOpenSpaces 115
6 ArchitectureforSeaandBeach 147
7 FromBathHousetoWaterPark 177
8 WalkingonWater 201
9 PavilionsandAmusementParks 245
10 SleepingbytheSea 279
references 309
select bibliography 325
acknowledgements 329
photo acknowledgements 330
index 332
PlymouthHoe,Devon,1996.
TheinventionoftheWesternseasideasasiteofleisureand AtsometimeintheirlivesmostpeopleinWestern
pleasurealmostthreecenturiesagowenthand-in-handwith societieshave,insearchofleisureandpleasure,holidayedin
thedevelopmentofanovelurbanform–theseasideresort resortsbythesea.Theseexperiences,togetherwithamulti-
–andtheemergenceofanewpleasurearchitecturebeside tudeofseasideimagesfrompostcardstofilms,andfrom
thesea.Architecture,invariedinnovativeforms,becamean novelstoadvertisements,leavepeoplewithcomplexmemo-
essentialingredientfashioningtheseaside.Asanartificial riesandfeelingsabouttheseaside.Cutthroughand
confectiondesignedtoenticepeopleseekingleisureand sequencedbytimeandplace,thesemightincludesunburnt
pleasure(andusuallyintendedtogenerateincomeanda childhoodholidaysonabeachlittered,dependingonthe
profit),architecturebecametheglueofindividualresorts place,withdeckchairsandwindbreaksorsunloungersand
andadefiningcharacteristicdistinguishingoneseaside parasols;teenagershavingfunintheseaoropen-airlido;
placefromanother. fumbledfirstsexualencountersunderapier;afamilystroll
Themostinfluentialseasidearchitecturemakesthe alongapromenadeorboardwalkorthroughacliff-toppark;
mostofbeing‘onthefront’andbesidethesea.Itsformand visitstoseasideentertainmentcomplexesfromfunfairsto
function,andhowitisused,helpexposethefascinating casinos;oroldpeoplesittinginaseafrontshelterwatching
relationshipsbetweensocietyandnaturefoundinplaces theworldgoby.Theseexamples,ofcourse,aredeliberately
literallyontheedge.Westernseasideresortsaremulti- chosentomakethepointthattheresortexperienceis
layeredplaces,redolentwithmeaningforthepresentand frequentlyframedandconditionedbyseasidearchitecture:
memoryofthepast.Whetherthemostfashionableand thebuildingsandbuiltform,theopenspacesanddesign
exoticsunnysouthernplaygroundoftherichorarun-down detail,thatgotomakeupresorts.Butlessintentionally,
andforgottencoldernortherncoastalpleasuretown,resort althoughnotunexpectedly,thenatureoftheseaside–the
architecturehasbecomeboundupwiththeseaside’sintense seaitself,themarginaledgethatisthebeach,theweather–
senseofplaceandbeing. alsoemergesasacrucialpartofspendingtimebythesea.
Thearchitectureoftheseaside,too,hasbeencaughtup ThisbookisabouttheWesternseasideresort,witha
inthedriftofholidaymakerssweptalonginthesurging particularemphasisontheEnglishseasideandhowithas
tidesofsocial,economicandtechnologicalchangeandthe beencreatedandchangedovertime,usedbyholidaymakers,
ebbandflowoffashion,tasteandevolvingpersonaland andrepresentedinwritingandpictures.Acentralargument
socialrelationships.Seasidearchitecturehashelpedcreate, isthatadistinctivearchitecturehelpsdefinetheseaside
structureanddefineholidaysbytheseaandtheconsump- resortasanarenaofleisureandisasignificantelementin
tionandverymeaningoftheseaside. theconsumptionoftheseasideandtheseasideholiday.
7
Seasidearchitectureisbroadlyandliberallydefinedto
includenotonlyobviousbuildingssuchaspiersandpavil-
ionsbutalsotheminutiaeofbeachhutsandpromenade
railingsandshelters,aswellasthelargerscaleofholiday
camps,seasideparksandopenspacesandcompleteresorts
designedasasingleentity.Thatsaid,attimesitisimpossi-
bletoseparateoutparticulartypesorformsofseaside
architecturesinceinmostresortsdifferentarchitectural
strandsmergeintoeachother.Forexample,piersmight
carryfunfairsorbathingstationsorevenswimmingpools;
beachesarethelaunchpadforgettingintothesea;holiday
campsareusuallyself-containedresorts,completeinthem-
selves,withfunfairs,poolsandentertainmentcomplexes.
Thetimescalecoveredinthebookencompassesalmost
threecenturies,fromtheappearanceofthefirstembryonic
resortsaroundtheshoresofEnglandintheearlydecadesof
Collioure,France,2004. theeighteenthcenturytothepresentday,althoughthe
emphasisisonthelasttwocenturiesandtheemergenceof
‘RoughSeaandthe
NewPalacePier,
Brighton’,postcard,
c.1905.
8 DESIGNING THE SEASIDE
Description:In Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief , a seaside resort was the setting for thievery and intrigue. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers tap-danced their way to fame at a Brighton resort in The Gay Divorcee . The seaside resort has always held a special fascination, a place of containment and leisure t
