The two Folkestone's modern architecture — Grand Burstin Hotel and Shoreline
Folkestone is one of the coastal town in Kent, England, which is a connection to France with ferry in the past and vehicles/rail through the Channel Tunnel nowadays.
I have been there three times since 2024 (as of February 2025) and it has become one of my favourite coastal towns in the United Kingdom.
I realized there are so many architectures that interests me, and one article will be too long to include all I want to talk. Thus, I will include two of them in this article.
Grand Burstin Hotel from 1970s vs Marine Court in St Leonards from 1930s
I believe it is the biggest architecture in Folkestone, with 400 rooms inside compared to most hotels there in which each has only around one-tenth. You will easily find it when booking hotels, which has very low room prices (as low as £27 for a single room) with sea view, with low rating.
Many people include me are interested in this hotel. YouTubers and reporters even stayed in this “worst hotel” in the country to see if it is the case. I have never stayed there although I was once attracted by the price when I needed to extend my stay.
I sometimes question if the hotel is oversized when it was designed, and if the hotel quality can be greatly enhanced when the number of the rooms are enormously reduced (while rebuilding may be needed)? As the hotel was built completely in 1974, I imagine if there were larger demands of mass travel locally (compared to nowadays we can easily travel overseas by low-cost carrier), as well as the essential connection to France with previous Folkestone Harbour station and ferry port before the opening of the Channel Tunnel so that vehicles and rails can skip the town.
Googling the hotel allowed me to bring more facts than simply asking AI and watching YouTube videos. As you will find a lot of old photos of Royal Pavilion Hotel, the architecture built before Grand Burstin Hotel in 1843; You will find a man called Motel Burstin who demolished most part of this beautiful hotel (remaining the Victorian Dining Room) and redesigned a modern one. It used to be a “head” of the big world-class cruise only, but underwent an extension to include the “body” some years later.
The hotel during sunset
The closer look of the hotel
The hotel from the platform of Folkestone Harbour station
The hotel is so giant so it can even be seen when walking away Folkestone towards Dover
Refer to the two websites which are worth reading:
The hotel made me think of another giant architecture which is not a hotel but a residential building: Marine Court in St Leonards, which was built between 1936 and 1938. This Art Deco apartment has become a Grade II listing.
Marine Court as big as a cruise ship too
Marine Court from the other side
Shoreline from 2024 vs Gateway in Dover from 1950s
The latest modern residential building along the coast which has been completed since 2024. The semi-circular architecture (concave towards the cliff) brings the sheltered communal back garden blocking the winds from south east. The height of the architecture is varied in different parts: it is as high as 7 levels on both end as apartment flats, with townhouses (as low as three levels) disturbed horizontally in between. This special arrangement results in some protection of the natural landscape as seen from the beach nearby, and as far away from Folkestone Harbour Arm.
Shoreline seen from the beach
Shoreline seen from Folkestone Harbour Arm
While I appreciate the architectural design, it’s a shame that not all flats have sea view.
You may think, “Wait! Is it possible that every flat can be guaranteed a sea view?” I will say the apartment in Dover Gateway which was completely built in 1959 is an answer.
I discovered the architecture not because some locals told me or I found the information online, but accidentally noticed it when enjoying breakfasts in Travelodge which is opposite it. It didn’t impress me the first time of looking because it was so giant that totally blocked away the sea view, as this websitesaid, it has “cut Dover off from the seafront”.
Recently, when I had another chance to stay and have breakfast here (after trying to walk to Dover from Folkestone), I looked the building in details and wondered if every flat has sea view. Researching online can confirm my hypothesis.
Refer to the following well-written articles about the two architectures:
Gateway Flats by The Dover Historian — there are also well written articles by Lorraine Sencicle
Shoreline — official website
acme — the architectural firm in charge of Shoreline
