WowHaus

This 1930s modern house by Marcel Breuer in East Preston, West Sussex, is the only UK house designed by the noted architect. It is on the market.

It was last up for sale way back in 2012. At the time, it had been owned by the same family since the 1940s and remained largely unaltered from the original designs.

However, it was also something of a double-edged sword, with the house requiring work to bring it back to its best. It was a golden opportunity for someone, and as expected, the house was snapped up pretty quickly. Fast-forward 12 years, and the house is back on the market after a sensitive but not significant renovation. The agent points out that it still ‘needs some updating’.

But Sea Lane House will need a careful renovation. Described by the agent as ‘one of the most distinguished examples of 20th-century domestic architecture’, it is, as I said earlier, the only Breuer design in the UK. It was designed by Breuer while working in collaboration with FRS Yorke and is, as you would expect, grade II-listed for its architectural merit.

The design is as modern today as it was back in the mid-1930s. It is a notable presence on the coastline at East Preston, which itself isn’t short of interesting architecture.

How did the Bauhaus-trained architect end up designing a house in West Sussex? Well, as you might have guessed, that was down to world events of the time. Breuer left Germany in the 1930s due to the rise of the Nazi Party, with London being his initial stop for just two years, during which time this house was designed and built.

After that, it was a move to the US. I have featured plenty of Breuer designs from his time in the US if you want to check those out.

Or take a loose look at this one, widely considered the best-preserved example of his early architectural work anywhere in the world.

It is a striking piece of architecture constructed of brick and reinforced concrete and designed in conjunction with the British architect FRS Yorke, one of the earliest English pioneers of the international style.

The design has a nautical feel and was initially described as a ‘seaside house for contemporary living’. It also has some interesting details to support that purpose.

The most obvious is perhaps its most innovative feature – accommodation built on columns that ensure sea views from the bedrooms. If you go on the agent’s site, you get an idea of just how immersive those views are, too. It also had the added advantage of boosting the garden/plot size for recreational use. Regardless of the practicality, it looks stunning.

The house sits just off a beach access road, behind a low brick wall and hedging, with the white concrete rising up above, punctuated by the metal framed windows.

There are two ways to enter the house: a ‘regular’ entrance to the side of the garages leading to the ground-floor accommodation, or alternatively, what is described as a ‘more dramatic and public’ access via the concrete stair to the curving sun terrace.

Once inside, you will find an interior that has been subtly updated but largely maintains a muted palette, not unlike the exterior, with the odd exception here and there.

At first glance, the kitchen looks original. But look closely, and you will see something more contemporary working well within the overall design—understated style and function. The bathroom is much the same.

Elsewhere, rooms are bright and practical, with a lovely flow from each reception space to the next. They are not exactly open-plan, but they work well together.

The accommodation within the house includes a bedroom wing raised on the concrete piloti containing five bedrooms, including a sizeable principal bedroom. A family bathroom sits within this run and along the same corridor. Sea views from all bedrooms, of course. Breuer and Yorke intended for one of the bedrooms to be used as a second reception room or study, which is still a possibility for a new owner.

The first-floor living room has an open fireplace, while the dining room has access to a sun terrace and garden. There’s also a ground-floor kitchen with dining space, a larder, and a utility room.

Other features still in place today include a large framed north-facing window with 72 glazed panels, a working dumb waiter and an internal bell system. Not sure how practical the latter two are, but it’s nice to have these original details still in place.

Outside, the house is surrounded by gardens (including a vegetable garden) on a corner plot. Two garages and driveways provide further parking, as well as extra store rooms and a garden store.

As you probably gathered, you are also a stone’s throw from the beach, which is always a good selling point. There’s nothing better than an early morning stroll on the beach, weather permitting.

If you want to take on this architectural icon, it is on the market for £1,250,000.

Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.