Prize winning beach hut is pretty as a picture
A one of a kind beach hut, featuring ornate floor to ceiling picture frames that reflect stunning vistas of the sea and the local town, has been crafted by Design & Display Structures
Named Eyes Wide sHut, the striking building was created by architects Feix&Merlin and won the international Bathing Beauties competition. The contest, devised by artist Michael Trainor, was set up to ‘Re-imagine the beach hut for the 21st century’.
Winning concepts become part of a gallery of dramatic new seaside architecture for the regeneration of a 10-mile stretch of Lincolnshire coast, near Skegness.
The revolutionary design of Eyes Wide sHut - named after Stanley Kubrick’s last film - needed an innovative manufacturing solution to match.
GRP experts Design & Display Structures initially constructed the main body of the hut, as well as the front and rear frames, using eight identical moulds.
The frames hold large mirrored polycarbonate panels, giving reflections of the beach view and Mablethorpe town the appearance of vast, framed photographs.
These one-way mirrors create a perfectly transparent and unobstructed view out from the inside, while passersby enjoy the reflected landscapes.
By choosing GRP, Feix&Merlin’s beach-side development benefits from an ultra durable, low maintenance and colourfast material that is extremely resistant to the elements.
The front frame can also slide out, completely opening up the hut and acting as a wind break for the neighbouring garden, situated on an empty plot.
Finally, Design & Display Structures added internal walls clad with a full height, full width graphic of a forest clearing - creating an escape from the hot beach into a cool, quiet woodland.
The Surrey-based company was selected for the prestigious project due to its long standing relationship with architect Tarek Merlin. Its strong reputation for offering innovative, totally bespoke ‘one stop shop’ design and build solutions was another integral factor.
Managing Director Allan Curtis, who worked on the scheme with Graham Hepburn and Dick Kiss, said: “Tarek and his colleague Julia Feix knew Design & Display Structures would easily be able to handle such a complex and unique fast track project like Eyes Wide sHut.
“The finished property is a masterpiece of contemporary seaside design and we were thrilled to be part of this ambitious seaside regeneration scheme.”
The Bathing Beauties competition is part of a wider environmental improvement project led by Lincolnshire Council, with East Lindsey District Council and local parish councils.
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For further information please contact Allan Curtis on 07718 320184
