Local councillors in Kent, UK, yesterday (20 November) rejected plans to redevelop one of Margate’s most famous Modernist buildings—Arlington House—following a campaign led by local residents, alongside the high-profile artist Tracey Emin.
Freshwater, the building leaseholder, had proposed replacing the windows at the 18-storey residential apartment and commercial block located on the town seafront, which opened in 1963.
“Emin joined with hundreds of local residents and the [preservation charity] 20th Century Society to protest against plans which they said would have ruined the façade of the celebrated 1960s tower block,” says a statement on behalf of the artist.
Emin adds: “If Arlington House had been in London or any major city, it would have been protected and listed as an outstanding building. The present owners Freshwater understood this responsibility when taking on this building, they cannot get away with replacing the original windows with bulky, unsuitable and inappropriate windows.”
Officials at the Thanet District Council planning meeting voted unanimously against the Freshwater planning application. Emin, who owns a flat in Arlington House, posted on Instagram that “a loud cheer was heard in Margate council chamber. For me personally it was such a relief. The decision restored some of my faith in humanity”.
According to The Guardian, Freshwater said in planning documents that the difference between the existing and new windows is “minimal” and that the proposed modification would not alter the heritage aspect or legacy of the building. Freshwater were contacted for comment.
According to the website for A Better Arlington, the residents’ association for Arlington House, the block was “built with white concrete cladding containing mica flecks which caused it to sparkle in the sunlight, and the purposefully angular facade mimics the rolling waves whilst enabling every flat to have a beach view”.