Seasiders to be sheltered from Blackpool wind

A stroll along Blackpool promenade may not be such a whirlwind affair in future thanks to a series of rotating wind-shelters designed for the resort’s South Shore.

Created by architect Ian McChesney with engineer Atelier One, the shelters rotate into the prevailing wind and are therefore intended to offer constant protection. They are scheduled to replace existing Victorian facilities, as part of the revamp of the town’s sea defences.

A maximum of three eight-metre-high shelters are to be built off-site and craned into position in time for next summer.

‘The shelters will be made from a composite structure of stainless steel, which is similar to an aircraft wing, and are specially sanded to produce a vandal-proof finish,’ says McChesney.

McChesney, a former project architect at John McAslan & Partners, won the commission following an international competition that attracted 82 entries.