Spy Glass
SPY GLASS
JaK Studio
ARCHITECTS
JaK Studio
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
Car Ltd
VEHICULAR TURNTABLE
UK Turntables Ltd
TEXTILE DESIGNER
Cliveworks
SPECIALIST CONCRETE MANUFACTURE
GSSL Gunite and Shotcrete Services Limited
CDM2015 ADVISOR
Fred Hurr Ba Hons, Mcices, Rfaps
LIGHTING DESIGNERS
Light IQ
DESIGN CONSULTANTS
Seymour Powell
MANUFACTURERS
Sika, Kebony, Polypipe Systems, ROCKWOOL, Saint-Gobain, Clivework, Ingramms d.o.o Sarajevo, UK Turntables
CONSULTING ARTIST
Alban Low
PHOTOGRAPHS
Nick Kane, Francesco Russo
AREA
6 m²
YEAR
2017
LOCATION
Eastbourne, United Kingdom
CATEGORY
Small Scale
Text description provided by architect.
The idea for the ‘Spy Glass’ was to build a structure that has all the nostalgia of an original beach hut with a new physical form that would pay homage to the classic beach hut - an iconic symbol of the British seaside.
The Spy Glass is built on a recessed turntable allowing the transparent ‘picture window’ of the hut to be turned like traditional slot binoculars – this can be rotated in a 180-degree direction, via remote control, to face the sun, seascape or the bright lights of Eastbourne Pier, ‘reacting’ to daily life around it.
At the promenade end of the hut, there is a timber clad entrance door with an overhang formed by the cantilevered daybed inside.
This cantilever has 2 porthole windows and an external shower head.
The adaptability of the Spy Glass allows the hut can be used as a private beach hut.
JaK Studio set about designing the beach hut using a combination of robust nautical materials.
The hut sits on a heavy-duty vehicle turntable which enables it to rotate from east to west.
The Spy Glass measurements are based on a traditional beach hut, with typical dimensions of 2 meters wide x 3 meters long x 3 meters high.
