East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton East sussex

Inspired by the beauty of the olympic torch both in terms of its aesthetics and the way it so intelligently operated to represent all the countries unifying for the olympics, I decided to visit another of Thomas Heatherwicks projects.  Somewhat less ambitious in scale and perhaps exposure the East Beach Cafe resembles a cross between an amonite and a snail! 

     

Heatherwick studios and the owners have created a cafe/ restaurant that can operate whatever the weather from what was originally an exposed seaside kisok.  Outside the cafe looks like a huge mollusc but inside it functions like a normal cafe where you can opt for just a cup of tea or push the boat out and go for a bottle of dom perignon!

"Thomas Heatherwick (born 17 February 1970) is an English designer and the founder of London-based design practice Heatherwick Studio. Since the late 1990’s Heatherwick has emerged as one of Britain’s most gifted and imaginative designers.^[1] His innovative approach to design has earned him a reputation as an ‘ideas engine’.^[2]

Since 2010 Heatherwick has exhibited a knack for projects that are intimately connected to a sense of national or local identity. These include the Olympic Cauldron, the New Bus for London, the first new double decker bus commissioned for London in 50 years, and the UK pavilion at Expo 2010.^[3] Other notable works include The Rolling Bridge, East Beach Cafe, and a plan for a biomass power station in BEI-Teesside. 

Heatherwick works with a team of over 80 architects, designers and makers from a combined studio and workshop in King’s Cross, London"  wikipedia

http://www.eastbeachcafe.co.uk