East Beach Cafe
Stunning new building on the Littlehampton seafront
(Photos/words © urban75, June 2007)

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, this landmark building sits right on the beach in Littlehampton, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

Inside, there's room for 55 diners with 90 seats on the decking outside, with a former Ritz chef, David Whiteside, billed as being on hand to serve up fresh seafood.

The unusual design took shape after Jane Wood and her husband, Peter Murray, collaborated with architect Heatherwick after a chance meeting.

The building - which has been described as possessing a structure more akin to a racing car than a conventional building - was designed via 3D computer modelling techniques with the assistance of civil engineers Adams Kara Taylor.

We took a look around just a few days before its opening.


Looking east along the cafe.


The unusual roof complete with metal waves.


Despite its radical architecture, there wasn't a single objection to the planning application which suggests that Littlehampton residents understood the value that such a striking building might bring to the town.




Passers-by sneak a peek inside the new cafe.


The windowless town-facing side of the cafe.


Looking a bit like an alligator, this view was taken looking towards the beach.



Checking out the material.


Detail of the curved metal structure.




Admiring the lines.


A final view of the structure.



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