Blank Space

Alternative scheme for the redevelopment of the former gasworks site in Kemptown, East Brighton

Status: Feasibility

Blank Space have speculatively produced an alternative proposal for the former gasworks site in Kemptown, Brighton. Since the closure of the gasworks, the site has been largely underdeveloped and is only currently used for storage and light industrial purposes. It is also highlighted in the 2016 City Plan as a key opportunity area for residential and business development. With its seafront Marine Parade position and proximity to both the South Downs and the Grade I listed Kemptown Estate, the significance of the site to the City is high.  

An application for a mixed use development comprising circa 550 residential units and 1,800 sqm of business floor space has been submitted and is currently under consideration with Brighton and Hove City Council. 

After reviewing comments from the local opposition to the scheme, Blank Space designed a site layout that is less dense and more in keeping with the City’s wider layout, and less akin to a London infill development. With the outstanding Regency heritage in such close proximity as well as the sites prominence on the seafront , the building scale and typology also needed to be more sympathetic, also using a local palette of materials.