ASF Bexhill Post and Rail, Bexhill on Sea

HTA Architects designed the Next Wave scheme to renovate the seafront and public realm surrounding the Grade 1 listed modernist De La Warr pavilion. The CABE Seachange Funded project which aims to make the area a more attractive place for residents and visitors to Bexhill, and a catalyst for economic regeneration of this seaside resort.

When Bexhill on Sea needed a new barrier for the seafront promenade, Architectural Street Furnishings (ASF) was contacted to look at the project.

For harsh coastal environments, ASF would typically advise the use of cast iron products, however the client brief requested the barrier was constructed from aluminium, in a design that was sympathetic to the architecture of the De La Warr pavilion.

Aluminium is not renowned for being particularly durable in coastal environments. To ensure the barrier would withstand the environmental conditions over time, ASF had the aluminium hard anodised.

The anodising process involved the immersion of aluminium in a bath of sulphuric acid (an electrolyte) and running a low voltage electrical current through the bath. Normal anodising results in a thin coating of aluminium oxide (rust) on the surface of the material, hard anodising is achieved by cooling the solution to freezing temperature and increasing the amount of electric current that is passed through the bath.

Hard anodising produces a much thicker coating of aluminium oxide, rendering the finished material only a few hardness points below diamond and protecting it against harsh environments such as the salt at the coast.

The client agreed the simple clean lines of the design and a machined aluminium cap was added to finish off the modern and stylish barrier.

The finished result is a low maintenance, minimalist seafront barrier that will not pitt or corrode over time. 

The use of anodised aluminium enabled the client's brief to be matched without the need for compromise.