Details
BRIGHTON
TQ3103NW MADEIRA DRIVE
577-1/46/411 (North side)
20/08/71 The Brighton Aquarium and attached
walls, piers, railings and lamps
(Formerly Listed as:
MADEIRA DRIVE
The Aquarium)
II
Aquarium. 1869-1872, extended 1874-76, designed and engineered
by Eugenius Birch; the exterior completely rebuilt 1927-1929
by the borough engineer, David Edwards. The exterior is of
artificial stone cast to resemble coursed ashlaring; Regency
Revival style. The interior is of brick and cement walls, with
brick webbing to rib vaults; columns of polished granite with
capitals of sandstone and marble; most of the materials have
been painted. High Victorian Gothic style.
EXTERIOR: the exterior of the Aquarium dates from 1927-29. The
main entrance is set in a sunken plaza reached by a broad
flight of stairs. At the top of Madeira Drive these stairs are
framed by 2 square kiosks, each with a curved metal roof. The
main and side lobbies are reached through round-arched
openings. The corner and side elevations are enclosed by a
balustrade, which gradually becomes a balustraded and
parapeted wall as more and more of the exterior is exposed by
the fall of the site along the south elevation. On this
elevation are broad entrances and stairs to the roof terrace,
which has 2 levels. At the east end of the Madeira Drive range
is a 7-bay elevation articulated by Tuscan pilasters, the
broad end bays serving as entrances to the Dolphinarium;
further east, the elevation becomes irregular and is given
over to shops and restaurants. At its easternmost extent is a
flight of stairs which divides, leading, on the left, to the
upper roof terrace of the Aquarium, and, on the right, to the
terrace of the Covered Walk, Madeira Drive (qv).
INTERIOR: the interior dates from 1869-1872. From a large,
aisled hall, rectangular in plan, run two 7 bay aisles on an
east-west axis. At the far ends of these aisles are
vestibules, or narthexes, of one bay in depth. Each aisle bay
is, in fact, comprised of 2 square compartments, each of which
is ceiled by a quadripartite rib vault. The vaulting supported
by wall corbels and a pointed-arch arcade so that each of the
aisles leading from the central hall is, in effect, a double
aisle. The capitals of the arcade columns are carved with
naturalistic forms and representations of sea life. The brick
webbing to the bay vaults is laid diagonally to each rib;
although most are painted, 2 unpainted cells survive in the 4
bay vestibule of the east narthex: bands of red and black
brick intersect a ridge of white stone diamonds, all
terminating in a central boss. Many of the latter are carved.
The elevation of the aisle bays is identical: transverse
pointed arches spring from chamfered wall piers with stepped
stops; a projecting corbel supports a simply moulded cross
rib; a segmental arch spans each bay and behind it is set a
cast-iron tank; the tympanum above the arch consists of
alternate courses of stone and brick pierced by a chamfered
roundel. The large central hall is ringed by a continuous,
rib-vaulted aisle and has a flat ceiling of 4 bays articulated
by concrete beams. This hall originally housed Birch's 100,000
gallon tank, one of the largest display tanks then in
existence. The original cast-iron tanks at the corners of the
hall have been removed to provide increased access to display
areas on the north and south.
HISTORICAL NOTE: to the north, the steep rise of Marine Parade
completely hides the low Aquarium building, which therefore
has a front only to Madeira Drive; the only part of the
complex visible from Marine Parade is a lift tower and
entrance kiosk. To build the Aquarium it was necessary to
construct a new promenade and sea wall; when completed the
Aquarium stood on the main approach to the Chain Pier. In
addition to marine displays, Birch, who was the engineer and
designer of the West Pier (qv), also provided a reading room,
restaurant, and a conservatory. By 1922 the complex had become
vacant and narrowly avoided conversion into a bus garage. The
1927-29 remodelling added a broader range of attractions,
including a concert hall, ballroom and bandstand.
(Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-: 3).
Listing NGR: TQ3145803878
