All change for beach huts

FOR centuries humble wooden beach Huts have dotted the nation's coastline. Many have been treated to a colourful lick of paint but generally they have been ignored by the world of architecture.

So when Manchester artist Michael Trainor launched a competition challenging artists and architects to redesign the traditional huts along the Lincolnshire coast, he expected only a few dozen entries.

Instead, he received more than 240 different designs from 15 countries.

Traditional seaside references are gone, replaced by structures incorporating wind turbines, saunas, huge mirrors, viewing platforms, vivid colours and space-age materials.

The nine winning designs will be made into real huts. They include Michael's, which is based on another British institution, the gin and tonic, as well as a 21st Century cave and a copper-coloured oyster.

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