It is thought that Marine Court was modelled on the prestigious Queen Mary Liner _ an illustrious ship which many believed signified the end of the depression and the beginning of the `Golden Era'.
The 1930s saw the start of what is known as Modern Movement - or what more simply could be called `Art Deco'. Marine Court was commissioned just one year after the launch of the Queen Mary in 1934 and designed by K Dalgleish and RK Pullen. It was completed between 1935 and 1937. Incidentally, fans of the Queen Mary believe that the ship stands as a `monument to the artistic equilibrium' achieved during the height of the 1930s. This ties in with the new `Modern Movement' - architecture was seen as a way to create a `better world' or what we now somewhat pretentiously call `urban renaissance'. This basically translated means using or designing attractive buildings to create a more beautiful built environment which in turn leads to a better quality of life.
Marine Court was one of the first residential buildings to be built using a steel frame and concrete - this method was previously used only for industrial buildings. It is twelve storeys high and accommodates 160 flats, 20 shops and Hanover House which is office accommodation.
Inside the building you walk into a mirrored lobby with black and white floor tiles. Marine Court is split into four blocks inside, each served by lifts which still have the old iron gate between the interior of the lift and the door. The white buttons for the floors are set on a shining brass plate - and there are still working porter `call' buttons!
Walk into the basement and the noise is nearly deafening - there are four huge hot water tanks serving all the flats - they are higher than your head and twice as long. They have huge temperature dials on them and it almost resembles a ship's boiler room. Two passages from the basement used to link Marine Court with the underground car park opposite, by going right underneath the A259. They are no longer in use, but stand in one and they are just like new, bright mosaics cover the ceiling and there are shining white tiles on the walls.
On the second floor you can see the triangles created by the diamond shaped steel frame around which the building is shaped. When you step into the corridor and look either way all you can see are a row of triangles, which creates a bizarre optical illusion because of the symmetry. You have to walk in a zigzag fashion around the triangles to move down the corridor!
It may not be everyone's ideal of beauty, but there is no doubt that this is an important and extraordinary historical building _ marked by the fact that it was given listed building status in 1999 (it was also used by the RAF during the war). Some people claim that it is the highest building on the south coast and it does tower above its neighbouring seafront homes; others claim it is one of the most interesting buildings on the south coast _ surpassing even the De La Warr pavilion at Bexhill. Whatever your conclusion and whatever your taste, there may be only one opinion to have - this building truly is a masterpiece, sometime monster and definitely bizarre!
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This page last updated: 15/10/2001