The Brighton Aquarium And Attached Walls And Piers And Railings And Lamps

The Brighton Aquarium and attached walls, piers, railings and lamps

The Aquarium was built between 1869 and 1872, designed and engineered by Eugenius Birch, with extensions added in 1874-1876. The exterior was completely rebuilt in 1927-1929 by David Edwards, the borough engineer. The building is executed in artificial stone cast to resemble coursed ashlar and displays Regency Revival styling on its exterior, while the interior is High Victorian Gothic in style.

The exterior dates from the 1927-1929 remodelling. The main entrance is set within a sunken plaza accessed by a broad flight of stairs. At the top of Madeira Drive, these stairs are framed by two square kiosks, each topped 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 becomes increasingly parapeted as the site falls away along the south elevation. The south elevation features broad entrances and stairs leading to a roof terrace with two levels. At the east end of the Madeira Drive range is a seven-bay elevation articulated by Tuscan pilasters, with the broad end bays serving as entrances to the Dolphinarium. Further east, the elevation becomes irregular, accommodating shops and restaurants. At its easternmost point, a flight of stairs 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.

The interior dates from 1869-1872 and comprises a large, aisled hall of rectangular plan with two seven-bay aisles running on an east-west axis. At the far ends of these aisles are vestibules (narthexes) extending one bay in depth. Each aisle bay is divided into two square compartments, each ceiled by a quadripartite rib vault. The vaulting is supported by wall corbels and a pointed-arch arcade, so that each aisle functions as a double aisle. The arcade column capitals 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, two unpainted cells survive in the four-bay vestibule of the east narthex, displaying bands of red and black brick intersecting a ridge of white stone diamonds, all terminating in central bosses, many of which are carved. The elevation of the aisle bays is consistent: 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 with a cast-iron tank set behind it; 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 four bays articulated by concrete beams. This hall originally housed Birch's 100,000-gallon tank, one of the largest display tanks in existence at that time. 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.

The interior features brick and cement walls, with columns of polished granite topped by capitals of sandstone and marble; most materials have been painted.

To construct the Aquarium, a new promenade and sea wall were necessary. When completed, the building 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, provided a reading room, restaurant and conservatory. By 1922 the complex had become vacant and narrowly avoided conversion into a bus garage. The steep rise of Marine Parade to the north completely obscures the low Aquarium building from that direction; only a lift tower and entrance kiosk are visible from Marine Parade. The 1927-1929 remodelling expanded the range of attractions to include a concert hall, ballroom and bandstand.