Bathing Beauties™: 'Re-imagine the Beach Hut for the 21st Century'

Art Meets Architecture on the Lincolnshire Coast, UK

NOTE: This page was last updated on 18 Sept 2007

BATHING BEAUTIES™ 21st CENTURY HUTS, FESTIVAL AND COMPETITIONS 2007

Lead artist Michael Trainor launched his own Bathing Beauty™ Come Up And See Me, a two-storey hut inspired by a gin and tonic at the Festival of Bathing Beauties™, 22 - 23 Sept 2007.

Winning commissions now in construction for permanent installation 22 Sept 2007.

The winners of the international Bathing Beauties™ competitions to 'Re-imagine the Beach Hut for the 21st Century' have arranged for their designs to be constructed for permanent installation for the Festival of Bathing Beauties™ (22 - 23 September 2007).  These exciting, high quality and innovative bathing huts will ultimately form a ‘linear gallery’ of seaside architecture amongst the existing 509 traditional beach huts (linking the UK coastal towns of Mablethorpe, Sutton-On-Sea and Anderby Creek in Lincolnshire, UK).  Details of the winners are at the bottom of this news page and you can view images in the gallery.  The bold new huts will be officially opened to the public at the first Festival of Bathing Beauties™ : The UKs Only Beach Hut Festival (Sat 22 & Sun 23 Sept 2007) (between Mablethorpe and Anderby Creek, Lincolnshire, UK).  Advance bookings for daily public hire, from owners East Lindsey District Council will open later in Summer 2008.

The Festival of Bathing Beauties™ will also feature 'Beautiful Beach Huts Competitions' - extraordinary exterior and interior designs by private owners of beach huts on the Lincolnshire coast, UK.  This new coastal arts festival includes guided tours of the bold new beach huts by the artists and architects, a micro-exhibition of 1:15 scale model beach huts, a new attraction for Mablethorpe, the Mablethorpe Camera Obscura by Willett and Patteson, events and performances in huts on the beach and the seafront, fireworks, firesculptures, music, food, storytelling, puppet shows and temporary art installations.  For more information visit www.bathingbeautiesfestival.org

'Beautiful Beach Hut' Competitions for private owners on the Lincolnshire coast, UK.

ONLY OPEN to private owners of existing beach huts between Mablethorpe and Anderby Creek, UK.

For competition details click here.

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Bathing Beauties™

Winners of Commissions to Build Full-Scale Huts Information

The Bathing Beauties™ international competitions to 'Re-imagine the Beach Hut for the 21st Century' elicited one of the most exciting responses to any architectural competition this century.  Over 240 incredible conceptual design structures were received from over 15 countries including the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Singapore, India, China, Russia, Japan and Israel.

The four winners in the first round of competitions selection who will build their huts in 2007 are:

Atelier NU, Montreal (Quebec) Canada for 'Halcyon Beach Hut' which plays homage to the traditional form and is to be constructed from plexiglass and western red cedar allowing the transfer of light directly through the walls and roof. 

Feix&Merlin, London, UK for 'Eyes Wide sHut', a glamorous 'picture frame' hut featuring two ornate hand crafted timber frames front and rear, carrying floor to ceiling dark tinted mirrored panels.

'i-am' associates, London, UK for 'Jabba', the world's first contemporary cave - to be constructed from cedar wood, glass and colour anodised aluminium as sedimentary structural layers.

we made that, London, UK for 'A Hut for Gazing and Canoodling' a beach hut for all romantics! An inconspicuous black hideaway with a lush interior. (note - this will be installed next year in 2008).

The beach huts will be the property of East Lindsey District Council, will be opened for advance public view on 22 & 23 Sept 2007, and bookings for daily public hire will open later in Summer 2008.

[click here to see images in the gallery]

Bathing Beauties™ : 'Re-imagine the Beach Hut for the 21st Century' The Winners Profiles:

Atelier NU, Montreal (Quebec) Canada for 'Halcyon Beach Hut' which plays homage to the traditional form and is to be constructed from plexiglass and western red cedar allowing the transfer of light directly through the walls and roof.  As the sunlight fluctuates throughout the day, a fluid non-static atmosphere is created inside and when lit from the inside at night, Halcyon Beach Hut will transform into an abstract art object, creating a glowing beacon. Atelier NU was founded in 2006 by Anik Mandalian and Quinlan Osborne who met while working in Montreal.  They share the belief that modern architectural theory has created a dramatic rift, separating contemporary practice from the traditions that had historically informed architectural thought.  By exploring new ways to incorporate traditional materials and methods, they are looking to create an architecture that is sensitive to its own history while reflecting the complexities that have emerged in modern society.  www.ateliernu.com

Feix&Merlin, London, UK for 'Eyes Wide sHut'.  The seaside is all about taking in the views, the great expanse of the beach, the sea and the horizon; capturing these images and framing them in the minds eye and recording them to memory.  Eyes Wide sHut is a glamorous 'picture frame' hut featuring two ornate hand crafted timber frames front and rear, carrying floor to ceiling dark tinted mirrored panels.  Tarek Merlin and Julia Feix met whilst working with Will Alsop in Battersea, London.  Both have cut their teeth on a variety of high profile and exciting projects and have worked closely together for a number of years.  During their work at Alsop, Tarek and Julia have developed strong and established working relationships with varied consultants including Buro Happold, Adams Kara Taylor and Martin Stockley Associates.  Feix&Merlin won't stand for the lazy, the obvious or the mundane.  They will always push themselves to find the unusual and innovative solution and stand for a sense of uniqueness, delight and enjoyment, truth and mystery, texture, humour and wit.  www.feixandmerlin.com

'i-am' associates Ltd, London, UK for 'Jabba', which re-interprets the idea of the beach hut by drawing on its more ancient predecessor: the cave!  The world's first contemporary cave is to be constructed from cedar wood, glass and colour anodised aluminium as sedimentary structural layers; which provide both an engaging shelter and create a dynamic spire rising above the coastline and providing breathtaking views out to sea.  'i-am' associates is a multidisciplinary design practice established in 1997.  The five company partners are all qualified in disciplines ranging from architectural interiors, furniture, product and industrial design.  The company employs 20 people and is based in Shoreditch, East London, UK.  'i-am' hasa long standing client list which includes The National Trust, The Tower of London, Milton Keynes, RNLI Lifeboats, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Society. www.i-amonline.com

we made that, London, UK for 'A Hut for Gazing and Canoodling', a beach hut for all romantics! Conceived as a piece of furniture as an addition to the terraces of the coast, this inconspicuous black hideaway houses an indulgent interior with Canoodling Bench and Gazing Seat inviting hours spent in the company of an intimate companion.  Oliver Goodhall and Holly Lewis graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture, London, UK, in 2005 and through shared interests have gone on to form we made that.  Born out of the enjoyment for the latent pleasures of everyday life, we made that approaches each project with candidness and a sense of practicality.  Ideas are nurtured and interrogated, with the samerigour applied to choosing a single word as to designing a building.  Their combined experience at award-winning architectural practices covers a wide range of work including: exhibitions, book design, small scale domestic construction and large scale housing, commercial and performance venue projects.  www.wemadethat.co.uk

Bathing Beauties™ : Winners of Best Scale Model

Winner of the prize for for Best Scale Model submitted, which will be on public display at the

Bathing Beauties™ : A World Premiere scale model exhibition (15 June - 2 Sept, see top of this page)

Thurgood Hobson Design, London, UK for their model 'Lazy Susan'.

Partly inspired by the American Airstream caravan, the beautifully crafted Lazy Susan is designed to rotate to follow the sun.  Mark Thurgood is a designer, model maker, 3-D illustrator and skilled carpenter with a strong media background having designed for both television and magazines.  Kevin Hobson is a designer/maker and silversmith jeweller with a variety of craft skills.  They share a workshop in South London and both have a long term passion for beach life.

Bathing Beauties™ : Winner and Runner Up Beachfront Restaurant/Boathouse

Winner of the international competition to design a Beachfront Restaurant / Boathouse:

Robert Cody of Amoia Cody Architects, New York, USA for 'Architectural Lines in the Sand'.

Project Synposis: Architectural Lines in The Sand extends from the landscape to offer a fluid experience from the footpath to the beach.  From the footpath, you see the boathouse volume, which ends the 'middle' line in the sand.  This middle line houses all the services of the project. The beginning allows the boat to have direct access to the beach.  The ending connects one back to the main beach path.  The boat house volume curves toward the beach opening up the space to invite you into the projects upper terrace toward the main space of the restaurant.  The restaurant can either be fully enclosed with infill wood panel or open-air canvassed structure depending on the season.  If you continue up the ramp, you emerge from within this lanscape into a dune viewing / birdwatching plateau.  Here one is fully immersed in the landscape of the beach.  Robert Cody and Angela Amoia have worked together and with notable architects, consultants and construction management firms since 1990.  Amoia Cody Architects employs a philosophy in design that emphasises the creation of environments tailored for the individuals served.  Architecture is about Process not Style.  Funding is being sought to realise this winning design. For more information about Robert Cody and Angela Amoia, please visit the press page of this site where there is more detail.

Runner-Up for Design of the Beachfront Restaurant / Boathouse:

Paul Jones and Ceri Green with Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.

This entry from award-winning architects Paul Jones and Ceri Green was designed in collaboration with Northumbria University School for the Built Environment where Professor Chris Underwood specifically provided advice and expertise on sustainable and renewable heating / power strategy.

The Lincolnshire Coastal Project: Bathing Beauties™

The bold approach of Bathing Beauties™ is indicative of the need for small towns to make big statements in the attempt to reverse the declining coastal economy in the UK.  The stretch of coast between Mablethorpe and Anderby Creek, Lincolnshire UK was scarcely known about outside the region until now.  Lincolnshire County Council and the local authorities have inaugurated the world's first linear gallery of new seaside architecture.  Not so much 'thinking outside the box' more 'thinking outside the beach hut'.  The Lincolnshire coast will be the first area in the UK to see significant re-imagining of seaside architecture - this innovative linear gallery will unfold over a period of two to three years from 2007 - 2010.

Lead Artist Michael Trainor is commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by European Regional Development Fund to develop the Lincolnshire Coastal Art Project. Partners are: Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council and the local parish councils.

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Further information is on the press page - for press images / interviews, please contact

Lesa Dryburgh, Tel: +44 (0)161 248 6405 Email: press@bathingbeauties.org.uk