Pier per view: Everything you need to know about Brighton Beach House

Brighton landmarks don’t get much more recognisable than the city’s iconic (and we don’t use that term lightly) Palace Pier: a magnificent structure in wrought iron that nods to the city’s Victorian past. It’s a mere stone’s throw away from Madeira Drive, where you’ll find our newest Beach House, opening later this month.  

Set across two floors, the club space takes up residence in an opulent glass-fronted building that looks out across the sea, and draws inspiration from the Art Deco architecture and unique quirks of the seaside city. Whether you’re popping down from London, or visiting from further afield, our latest destination is not to be missed. Read on to find out more.

The architecture and interiors

As with all our clubs, the newly built House has been furnished with a combination of vintage furniture, specially designed pieces, and contributions from local craftspeople and artists. From the large-scale red and cream stone mosaic floor in reception and the curved glass wall of the events studio (sea views included) to the polished plaster walls that are coloured to match Brighton’s beachfront railings, the mood is very much one of bringing the outside in.

When you do venture outside, the terrace has a decidedly retro feel: vinyl-strapped chairs and sunloungers nod to the film Malcolm & Marie, while modular sofas, timber armchairs, and scalloped parasols and pool towels echo the hues of nearby beach huts. And possibly our favourite detail of all is the banana mosaic on the bottom of the banana-shaped pool designed by artist (and local resident), David Shrigley. 

The art collections

The Beach House’s art collection, curated by our Global Director of Art for Soho House, Kate Bryan, is formed of two permanent collections and made up of more than 110 artworks.

Described as a love letter to Brighton in its role as a beacon for the queer community, the Beacon Collection brings together the most relevant and influential queer artists of our time, including David Hockney, Maggi Hambling, Isaac Julien, Catherine Opie, Elmgreen & Dragset, Prem Sahib, Sunil Gupta, Christina Quarles, Gray Wielebinski, and Sin Wai Kin. It has been curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley, the chief curator at Avant Arte and co-chair of the Queercircle board, a new charity that aims to support the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community through arts and culture.

Featuring works by artists born, based or trained in Brighton and its surroundings, the Local Collection includes pieces by Rachel Whiteread, Dexter Dalwood, Somaya Critchlow, Dee Ferris, Harold Offeh, Magali Reus, Miranda Forrester, David Shrigley, and Aimée Parrott. 

You’ll also find other commissions throughout the House, including an installation by Brighton-born artist, Tania Kovats. Formed of 30 individual water vessels, the work is a conceptual group portrait of Soho Houses all over the world, with each vessel containing water drawn from the closest source to the House. 

Club Cecconi’s 

Serving authentic Venetian-inspired dishes using the finest ingredients, Club Cecconi’s is the UK’s first in-House Cecconi’s restaurant. It features a mix of dining and lounge-style seating (Cecconi’s signature Chesterfield banquette even gets a sea-view update), and its regularly rotating menu offers restaurant favourites such as Spaghetti Lobster in a puttanesca sauce, Chicken Milanese, Rigatoni Bolognese, and melt-in-your-mouth Tuna Tartare. 

To become a Brighton Beach House member, click here.