Return of the Laundry Arch

In the first phase of renovation work on Madeira Terrace (see Madeira Terrace restoration - hurrah!), several arches have now been entirely dismantled, leaving the huge sea wall bare and revealing a building within, a building that, frankly, looks like it’s had some history! A photograph by Allan King on the Brighton Past Facebook group has prompted members to offer snippets of local history and some memories of the place. 

Derek John Wright, for example, says ‘It’s the Laundry Arch. Used by a hotel, located at the end of the tunnel, to dry laundry.’ Neil Pike mentions the Bristol Pub hotel, and Julian Widest suggests it was Chaplin’s hotel. Ovular Sphere has more direct knowledge of the property, ‘Was the studio where my bands The Flesh Happening and Pink Narcissus used to rehearse and record. I also recorded some vocals for my album Fag Machine here. I believe it used to be a toilet.’ Richard Talbot says: ‘That’s Studio 284. The heart of Brighton punk. Occasional venue and rehearsal and recording space. Lovely people ran that.’ Paul Daltrey says, ‘Also used as a gun range at one point.’

Studio 284, in fact, was originally established in 1997 as a recording and rehearsal studio. It occupied a former public toilet block under the terraces (see Brighton and Hove News) and was run by Austen Grayton. A popular venue, it specialised in punk and metal music. In August 2015, however, it was forced to close due to the major structural concerns with the Madeira Terraces. Following the closure, the outfit relocated to Kemp Town and rebranded as BlackRock Subway Studio. It has continued to maintain a focus on providing services for various music genres, including punk, metal, acoustic, reggae, ska, folk, and hip hop.

Meanwhile, the planning application for the renovation work specifically mentions ‘Alterations and repairs to Laundry Arch to enable future operational use with replacement windows and door and a new balustrade.’