RAI members photograph St Leonards-on-Sea

A free photography workshop at Marine Court combined practical guidance from Timothy Soar with an architectural tour of St Leonards-on-Sea led by Ian Macready.

Left to right: Corinna Dean (LEEP Architects), conservation adviser Julia Edwards, Ian Macready (Architourian) and Marcus Lee (LEEP Architects) at Marine Court (photo: Tanya Szendeffy)

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Photos
Corinna Dean, Paul Ruff and Tanya Szendeffy, Alina Ohriniuc

Members of the Regenerative Architecture Index gathered at Marine Court in St Leonards-on-Sea for a free photography workshop exploring how practices can develop a more coherent visual language for their work.

Led by architectural photographer Timothy Soar, the session took place on the 12th-floor roof terrace of the Grade II-listed building. It formed part of a series of workshops organised for RAI members, placing an emphasis on discussion, shared principles and the role of photography as an integral part of the design process.

Participants included: Paul Ruff, RUFF Architects; Marcus Lee, LEEP Architects; Corinna Dean, LEEP Architects; Tanya Szendeffy, Heritage Conservation Officer; Julia Edwards, Heritage Conservation Adviser; Alina Ohriniuc, soon to join Sheppard Robson; and Ian Maccready, Architourian.

Timothy Soar at Marine Court (photo: Tanya Szendeffy).

Timothy Soar during the workshop (photo: Paul Ruff).

The workshop brought together Paul Ruff of RUFF Architects; Marcus Lee and Corinna Dean of LEEP Architects; heritage conservation officers Tanya Szendeffy and Julia Edwards; and Alina Ohriniuc, who is shortly to join RAI practice Sheppard Robson.

Following the photography session, architect and St Leonards resident Ian Macready, founder of specialist architectural travel company Architourian, led a 90-minute walking tour examining the development of the seaside town. Entitled Burton’s St Leonard’s: Classical Formality and Picturesque Irregularity, the tour explored the legacy of developer James Burton and his architect son Decimus Burton, while giving participants an opportunity to put their photography skills into practice.

Sea view (photo: Paul Ruff).

Completed in 1938, Marine Court was designed by Kenneth Dalgleish and Roger K Pullen. Its form was modelled on the recently launched Cunard Queen Mary ocean liner, with the building conceived as an ambitious expression of modern seaside living. After decades of decline and piecemeal alteration, it remains one of Britain’s most distinctive Art Deco residential buildings and a commanding presence on the St Leonards seafront.

The day was documented by participants including Corinna Dean, Paul Ruff and Tanya Szendeffy.