Until recently King's House in Hove was the primary headquarters of Brighton and Hove City council. Built between 1871 and 1874, it was originally 7 mansion blocks to house the wealthy on Hove seafront. It is a grade 11 listed building and it’s short but colourful history has seen it exchange hands and consequently its purpose quite a few times.
At the beginning of the century it was redesigned into The Prince's hotel, and was evacuated and taken over by the Royal Navy during the second world war. It was then sold to the Southern Eastern electricity board and then to Brighton and Hove city council in 1996. It has now been sold again to Morta Nova Grand Avenue who are a very new property firm who have bought Kings House for 26 million pounds and intend to transform it luxury residential properties.
I ventured thorugh this expansive and peculiar space, down empty corridoors and though silent rooms, light pouring though the windows and dancing off of the chairs and abandoned objects to warm the vacant space. The place was quite mesmerising as it exhibits a variety of functions and histories which are all mismathched together.
