The local family behind the restoration of the Hippodrome has bought a landmark building on Brighton seafront.
The Lambor family has bought the Kingswest complex, on the corner of King’s Road and West Street, for an undisclosed sum from Abrdn, formerly known as Standard Life.
The site is leased to the Odeon cinema, with the Pryzm night club – originally the Top Rank Suite – also operating from the site.
When Abrdn sold Churchill Square shopping centre to Ingka, the owner of Ikea, it did not include the Kingswest complex as part of the deal.
The Lambors bought the site through a company called Brighton Shore and are understood to regard the purchase as a long-term investment.
As well as the Hippodrome, in Middle Street, they also own two other buildings in West Street – the Occulist and, two doors away, the old Academy building, most recently trading as Popworld.
The family said: “We are thrilled to be the custodians of another important Brighton building.
“This purchase links in with our intended future planning, working with the local authority (Brighton and Hove City Council) to improve West Street.
“Having finally achieved planning consent for the reintegration of the Brighton Hippodrome into the city, coupled with our various other properties in West Street, we hope that we can help to enhance what is basically the ‘shop front’ for the city, linking the station to the seafront for the 11 million-plus visitors each year.
“The purchase of the Kingswest is aimed at adding to and improving West Street through working with the tenants to address the unfortunate neglect and deterioration of the fabric.
“This building has a poor appearance now and was significantly better when it was first built.
“There have been many years of neglect by the lessees, allowing many of the architectural details to be lost or fall into disrepair.
“We hope to work closely with the tenant to find a way forward to restore this building as a prime edifice on the Brighton seafront.”
Any repairs and improvements to this building can only be a good thing as it’s beginning to look pretty shabby now. Not helped by the nightclub going bust.
It hasn’t closed
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/02/02/brighton-night-club-saved-from-closure/#
Planning permission to improve the building was lodged earlier in the year and reported by this website. It’s being paid for by the Odeon and was already going ahead before the purchase. Why are the new owners pretending this is something to do with them?
As the (new) owners it’s everything to do with them what happens to their building!
Leaseholders don’t have absolute rights to do as they please.
It’s about time West Street was cleaned up. With salty air constantly battering buildings, keeping exteriors smart must be an uphill struggle. Why is there a distinct lack of trees/planters to break up the concrete
Look at all major cities. Nice in South of France has managed it. Why can’t we?
Now knock that monstrosity down.
12 sticks of TNT strategically placed should be enough to do the job
Should have bought it yourself then.
Please be bold and tear it down to build something that makes Brighton proud. It’s been a prime location eyesore for decades, an unwashable stain on the centre of the seafront. Such a pity. Hopefully now an opportunity to sort once and for all 🙏
Exactly
Well, it does complement that other seafront eyesore, on the other side of the main road, one which should have been demolished years ago.
Perhaps we could have a much needed and long awaited permanent ice rink back in the kingswest building.
Why do it trun into a new travelogue them
Ugly Travelodge hotel, you joking. There is one already in West Street. Don’t want that. Got to look pretty.
Hopefully the new owners will get permission to knock it down and rebuild something beautiful and useful that will enrich the city. This building is hideous and a complete eye sore. Even if it was restored it would still be ugly and poorly used.
Built with disabled wat room with shower then like a seriously Travelodge then as it needs to think for disabled people
Pull it down its a monstrosity, totally out of keeping.
Brighton is now a city and at last getting into its stride after the carnage of The Greens, and we are destined to be a high-rise metropolis. We have the fame and the stature to do it, and the economy here is as good, or better, than any UK city. This rusting blot of the landscape, in prime position, must be addressed, because it’s embarrassing.
And over in Kemptown, that gasworks needs to go and be replaced by the high-rise modern development, with marina views, bringing re-generation to that end of the city. The gasworks is an eyesore and just makes the place look like London in a 60s Rita Tushingham movie, like post-war bombsite Britain.
Brighton is going to grow and be a modern city. There is no point fighting it. The debris of The Royal Albion needs to go too, to be replaced by something new and amazing.
And we need a modern inner-city public transport system, and buses are not it.
“New and amazing” like that dreary little cafe that is being built by the Angel statue, replacing an equally dreary little cafe? Or maybe “new and amazing” like the huge hideous blocks of flats going up near Hove Station?
Brighton is a town and definitely not a city. I’m born and bred in Brighton and “city status ” has been slapped on Brighton. You can’t go from being a town for decades and then all of a sudden it’s being called a city. We also don’t have a cathedral.
There is no legal requirement for a city to have a cathedral. It’s a myth.
There are several UK cities that don’t have a cathedral.
And there are several towns that have a cathedral but aren’t cities.
Brighton and Hove has the 13th largest population of England’s built up areas, just 10,000 fewer than Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Is Newcastle not a city then?
I’m also born and bred in Brighton since 1960, and am pleased we have City status. Not only does it reflect the progressive nature of the area, but also brings extra government revenue in the form of grants and redevelopment funding.
As already stated the necessity to have a cathedral was dispensed with many years ago.
I cringe everytime I pass it …,How on earth did they ever get permission to build it in the first place.
No High rise. We don’t want Brighton to turn into Croydon , Blocking out Natural sunlight that makes Brighton so great in the summer months.
I agree, this building is an eye sore. But a new building would probably not much better…
The seafront in Brighton and Hove looks old and washed out, no (beautiful) planting, terrible swimming facilities, sewage nearly daily let into the sea…and now monstrous buildings like the Meeting Place Cafè and the huge development on Hove beach…ghastly and not at all restful or inspiring. It certainly doesn’t make me proud to live in Brighton & Hove…’city’ or otherwise…
Actually no sewage in Brighton- but a few miles east or west it can be a different story.
What are you lot going on about I have lived in brighton all my life we need to get rid off the business people who think they can make a fast buck then leave with their pockets full of money. Thank god they didn’t get their hands on the the dome what a beautiful building and the corn exchange
Please, please, please, new owners, be bold and pull it down and start again. Please build something we can be proud of, making full use of the sea views that locals and visitors can enjoy. Some salt tolerant planting to help soften harsh building materials. Personally I’d like to see an ice rink be part of any future building – with a population nearing quarter of a million it’s a disgrace we haven’t got an ice rink in the city. Please DON’T build another box monstrosity!