West Wittering Lifeguard & Safety Hub

The new safety and facilities hub is a slightly wordy title for a scheme which aims simultaneously to be visible, to blend in, to be new and to feel as though it were always there.

The overall plan forms an embrace which hugs the various activities within a gabion-buttressed 'sea defence' wall. Our building is above the high tide line of course, to the defensive and embracing wall is protection from the prevailing winds and the fine sand which blows across this most beautiful and dramatic setting of West Wittering Beach.The wall will collect sand and wild grasses as the seasons go by, gradually imbedding the building further and further into its surrounding.

The large wall, designed at scale, is contrasted by a lower facade which is the public-facing elevation, balancing with the nearby cafe to create a sheltered 'courtyard' for visitors as they step back from the seafront. This provides fantastic public amenities including 'Changing Places' facility, a state-of-the-art medical room and changing, breakout and management facilities for the lifeguards.

The building is crowned with a copper clad lookout which has all-weather protection and crucially provides clear views of the beach for the entire extent of West Wittering. For a building which seeks to be at one with its surrounding landscape, this element by contrast must stand out as a beacon for visitors, a reassuring presence and the point for first aid.

The materials used include limestone gabions, natural cedar and natural copper all of which will respond freely to the changing climatic conditions at the beach and the long rear roof will house sufficient photovoltaic cells to provide all the electrical energy required to run the facilities through the day.