Exmouth RNLI, Devon

The RNLI are a longstanding client of The Bazeley Partnership and have commissioned us for a number of projects in the last two decades with the largest being the new lifeboat station on Exmouth’s esplanade.

A complex site combined with the RNLIs operational requirements for the station and the local authority’s desire to see a high quality landmark building in this location posed great challenges for the design team.  The result is a practical building with a bold presence on the shoreline.

The station houses both an inshore lifeboat and a Mersey Class all-weather lifeboat with a public viewing gallery and shop. Conceptually the design reflects its coastal location and the building’s purpose. The heavy masonry walls faced in local stone and appearing as if they are a natural feature of the landscape rise up to a series of sharply angled roof planes finished in copper.

The undulating roof form not only mimics a storm tossed sea but also the drama of rescue with the main ridge over the boat hall leading one’s eye out to the horizon. The copper roof, bright and polished when new, will over time soften to a green patina, alluding to the colour of the ocean.

Photography: Girts Galens

Client:
Exmouth RNLI

Task:
Complete architectural project

Style:
Contemporary