Location
Eastbourne
Client
Eastbourne Borough Council
Status
Construction tender
Year
2019
The Stargazer’s Cabin transforms the traditional British beach hut into a glowing lantern on Eastbourne’s shore front. Its laser cut façade is perforated with thousands of small holes which are precisely mapped to form the star constellations of the night sky. LED lights mounted behind illuminate the perforations creating a beacon on the beach that will attract passersby, encouraging them to stop and stare into the night sky as it extends over the far horizon of the English Channel. The Stargazer’s Cabin is a winning entry in “The Huts” international design competition which called for “iconic designs for bespoke beach huts.” It will appear on the seafront in Eastbourne later this year.
The structure of the hut consists of a simple timber frame with a pitched roof. From this timber frame is hung a bespoke layered cladding system to achieve the lantern effect. The external vertical walls consist of a laser cut marine grade plywood rain screen out of which the ornate details of the facade are formed. Behind this is a waterproof layer of translucent PVC cladding fixed between the timber structure. A number of Low energy LED light fitting are located between this PVC cladding and the interior plywood cladding in order to achieve the glowing effect.
The roof of the hut is also clad in a laser cut plywood rain screen but behind this is a single waterproof layer of transparent PVC. This enables dappled sunlight to enter the interior through the small perforations. A larger roof light is concealed beneath the chimney. The lantern effect of the roof comes from a single large interior light fitting hung from the apex of the roof. The interior finish is varnished plywood to match the exterior but light in colour in order to maximise the sense of space. The interior will also feature plywood joinery which conceals a number of storage units, bookshelves, a sink and fold out table.
The hut would also work as an excellent concession stand, with its distinctive design attracting customers from afar. The transformation into a concession stand could be achieved simply by adding a service hatch to the far wall. The interior joinery design can be easily adapted to increase the amount of storage and counter surface space depending on the requirements of future tenants.