Underneath The Arches - demolition beckons
Arches 17 to 35 to be redeveloped imminently
Last winter I started a project to document each of the 250+ arches under Kings Road, Brighton.
My premise was to capture each arch, closed, cold, deserted in the early morning - and then in summer make a matching image when the cafes, bars, galleries, workshops were open, warm, full of life.
After the first series was made, Finn Hopson (owner of the excellent Brighton Photography Gallery gallery situated in arches 52 & 53) told me that more of the arches are due to be refurbished.
Well, next week “contractors begin the demolition and reconstruction of Kings Road Arches, numbers 17 to 35. The work, which involves the Bridge Structure BS.5605”.
So my series will evolve. Some of the arches will no longer be there in summer, for a comparison image.
Arches 17 & 18, to the right of this image, are only a metre or so high, so contain nothing - now.
In the 1990s the arches housed squatters, who were evicted and decamped to the West Pier as can be seen in this news report.
So, the arches embark on an other chapter in their history.
I have documented all 250+ arches on this vibecoded website, where you can scroll through each arch, in order or randomised - https://underneaththearches.com .
In the back of my mind, and inspired by a Mark Power talk earlier in the year, there may be a book - but for now there is just an initial proof - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4449193736/underneath-the-arches-book-1-artists
And this is why we document things (or at least one of the reasons why). Such a cool site!
Interesting. What were the arches intended to be in the first place?