Bognor Regis Premier Inn
A new Premier Inn built on the site of Bognor Regis’s former fire station – where Simplicity used Jesmonite and reverse casting to bring the character of the original building back to life on the new façade.
The Brief
Simplicity were appointed by Carter Lauren to manufacture and install a bespoke Jesmonite façade package for a new Premier Inn hotel on the site of the former Bognor Regis fire station. Working to the design of Axiom Architects, the brief required a scheme that honoured the heritage of the original building — replicating key architectural features from the old fire station and incorporating them into the new hotel’s exterior.
The scope covered bespoke Jesmonite columns, stringers and curved bands across the elevations, feature arches with bespoke steel support structures, and the precise replication of the original fire station’s feature panels and signage.
The Challenge
The project presented two distinct technical demands. The first, and most intricate, was the reproduction of the original fire station signage using a reverse casting technique. Working from the original lettering, Simplicity cast the characters in Jesmonite to produce raised letter panels that directly referenced the building’s history – a detail requiring both precision mould-making and careful material control to achieve crisp, legible results.
The second being the feature arches adding a further layer of complexity. Each arch required a bespoke steel support structure, designed and manufactured by Simplicity to carry the Jesmonite elements safely and in accordance with the hidden fixing methodologydeveloped during the design development phase.
The Result
The completed façades at Bognor Regis Premier Inn successfully brings together a contemporary hospitality exterior with a genuine respect for the surrounding heritage. The reverse-cast fire station signage and replicated feature panels give the new scheme a sense of place and continuity that distinguishes it from a standard hotel development.
This project is a strong demonstration of Simplicity’s ability to combine heritage replication with bespoke Jesmonite manufacturing — contributing to both the design development and the technical delivery of a project where material precision and historical sensitivity were equally important.
