Ian Fraser House, St Dunstans

BRIGHTON

TQ3602NW GREENWAYS 577-1/59/324 (East side) 21/01/99 Ian Fraser House, St Dunstan's

II

Rehabilitation and training centre for those blinded in war. 1935-8. By Burnet, Tait and Lorne. Steel construction faced with brick laid in stretcher bond, cement, roof obscured by parapet. PLAN/EXTERIOR: 7 storeys, 12-window range to the principal, west front. In the style of the Modern Movement. The west front is symmetrical, and there is a wing of similar size behind it running east-west, so that the building resembles a cross in plan. Flat-arched entrance under an outswept and slightly upswept cantilevered canopy. 3-storey, flat-roofed centrepiece of 3-window range with a 4-storey polygonal glazed bay above; wings to either side of 6-window range to 5 storeys and 4-window range to top 2, these shorter wings having quadrant corners and the top storey almost continuous glazing slightly set back under a deep horizontal awning. The ground-floor windows have engaged columns set between them and faced with brown tiles; the glazing in the building has been generally renewed, except on the semicircular bays which terminate all 3 wings on the east side. A 2-storey wing in the north-east angle was added soon after the building was put up; a single-storey wing to the south was added in 1975. The 1975 addition to the south containing swimming pool is respectful of the original building, but is not in itself of special interest. A 1998 2-storeyed flat-roofed extension is also not of special interest. INTERIOR: the interior was designed to reflect the needs of the blind, in its simple axial plan, and in the provision of guide rails etc., and these features survive.

Listing NGR: TQ3619602714