Proposed renovations of a 1960s apartment block in the south of England have sparked widespread opposition. 

Arlington House in Margate is a renowned brutalist building located along the seafront. 

The 18-storey block stands almost exactly as when it was built in 1963, with pre-cast concrete panels, interior Carrara marble finishings and sliding glazed windows. 

Now, a proposal to replace these original windows has been met with objections from the public and heritage societies. 

Artist Tracey Emin, who was nominated for a Turner Prize, is also among the hundreds against the changes. 

Arlington House, which was developed by Bernard Sunley and designed by Russel Diplock, is an iconic building overlooking the Kentish sands. 

The wave-inspired facade is renowned for providing all apartments with sea views. 

Now, the complex’s managers intend to replace the original windows with tilt and turn models. 

The proposal has prompted backlash from local people and the building’s residents, which include Emin. 

Architectural conservation charity the Twentieth Century Society has also lodged an objection with the local Thanet district council. 

Opponents say the modifications will damage the architectural integrity of the block and reduce views of the seafront from the inside. 

“Arlington House is a historic building in Margate, at the time of its construction Margate was booming and it was an emblem of the future,” Emin told British press. 

“In the last few decades it’s been left to go to rack and ruin without care or respect for its monumental brutalist architecture. If this building were in any European town or city it would have been protected from the beginning. It should be listed and renovated back to its original beauty.”

Thanet heritage expert Nick Dermott criticised the proposals as “lazy and clumsy.”

“Four elements are key to the building’s striking appearance- its height, its wave-like projecting bay windows, the use of white pre-cast concrete stall riser panels and its continuous strips of aluminium horizontally sliding sashes (windows),” he told the Isle of Thanet News.

“The high quality original windows, now 60 years old, were carefully considered by the architect and are essential to the building’s architectural character. No such sophistication of architectural design has been applied to the current proposals.”

Property leaseholders Freshwater say the new windows are part of a wider restoration project and will benefit the inhabitants of the block. 

Some residents have complained that the original windows are in need of modernisation. 

Lyndon Brand, 60, told local news site KentOnline they are “just terrible”. 

“They rattle and shake. Many have had seagull strikes and cracked. In the summer, the heat distorts the frames and cracks the glass. The slightly thicker frames are a small price to pay. You wouldn’t notice it,” Brand added.

Freshwater described the difference between the original and replacement windows as “minimal”.

However, although reports say the new windows will be of a tilt and turn model with significantly thicker frames, no official renderings have been submitted for planning so it is unclear what the final effect on the facade will be. 

Furthermore, the lease structure means not all windows will be replaced, resulting in a patchwork-like appearance. 

The 18-storey Arlington House in Margate has long been considered a brutalist masterpiece. It inspired the English rock band Hawkwind’s song High Rise and recently featured in Sam Mendes’s Bafta-nominated film Empire of Light.

But now, the building, which sits on Margate seafront next to the railway station and the amusement park Dreamland, has become the cause of a bitter dispute among local people.

One of the UK’s most prominent artists, Tracey Emin, is among hundreds of people protesting against the building management’s proposed changes to the tower’s original windows, which have been in place since its opening in December 1963.

Emin, who owns one of the flats, the architectural preservation charity the Twentieth Century Society and 200 others have lodged objections with Thanet district council. They say changes will destroy the architectural character of the block, reduce views of the coast from inside and irrevocably ruin the authenticity of the building.

“Arlington House is a historic building in Margate, at the time of its construction Margate was booming and it was an emblem of the future,” Emin said. “In the last few decades it’s been left to go to rack and ruin without care or respect for its monumental brutalist architecture. If this building were in any European town or city it would have been protected from the beginning. It should be listed and renovated back to its original beauty.”

Emin, who was nominated for the Turner prize, opened Tracey Emin Studios in Margate last year and said Arlington House’s leaseholders, Freshwater Group of Companies, “understood this responsibility” when taking on the building and should not get away with “replacing the original windows with bulky, unsuitable and inappropriate windows”.

She added: “As a flat owner in Arlington House I’m totally opposed to their proposal. In short these are the wrong windows for this building.”

Freshwater says the replacement window scheme should have a positive impact on people who live in the building and the area as a whole. The company says the window replacements are part of a wider repair and refurbishment scheme that when completed will help restore the prominent building.

In planning documents, Freshwater has said the difference between the existing and new windows is “minimal” and will not alter the heritage and legacy of the building.

But people who live in the block say the plans will ruin the aesthetic of the 142-flat building and its view. One person said planners wanted to remove the original sliding windows and replace them with “tilt and turn” ones with thicker frames. This would involve the window frame being made five times thicker.

It is also understood that the lease structure, and therefore the window ownership, in the building means that not all the windows will be changed, which will lead to a patchwork of window types.

Those protesting say no elevations of the proposal have been submitted for planning so it is impossible to understand what the building will look like, or which windows will be changed.

But not everyone is opposed. Previous reports have indicated that a number of people are keen for cost-efficient double glazing, and blame “London hipsters” for flocking to Margate and the tower and preventing essential modernisation.

Lyndon Brand, 60, told KentOnline the windows are “just terrible. They rattle and shake. Many have had seagull strikes and cracked. In the summer, the heat distorts the frames and cracks the glass. The slightly thicker frames are a small price to pay. You wouldn’t notice it.”

A tilt-and-turn window is built as one panel which leans in or out from the rest of the frame.

In planning documents, Freshwater says these will be safer than the current design.

Another person in the block said her heating bill was “astronomically” expensive.

Arlington House was designed by the architect Russell Diplock, who also designed the Brighton Centre and nearby Churchill Square, and was initially advertised as “Britain’s first ‘park and buy’ shopping centre with luxury flats”.

The sides of the building have a wave-like design, which provides every flat with inland and sea views. Today, the commercial section is vacant after a proposal to redevelop it into a Tesco store was unsuccessful.

Thanet district council said: “While we do not comment on individual planning applications, each one is considered on its own merits and takes into account feedback from the public and relevant bodies.

“All comments received in relation to this application can be viewed on our planning portal. The planning committee will be provided with a summary of the comments received so that they can be fully considered when the application is determined.”

Highdorn, a part of Freshwater Group, has been approached for comment.

This article was amended on 17 September 2024. An earlier version said that Tracey Emin had won the Turner Prize; in fact she was nominated but did not win.

The world-famous artist, who owns a flat at Arlington House in Margate, Kent, said she is “totally opposed” to the “inappropriate” proposals by leaseholder Freshwater.

Freshwater wants to swap the sliding design of the tower block's current windows, which some residents say are draughty, to a 'tilt-and-turn' style, which will result in “slightly thicker frames”.

However, many residents, including Ms Emin, fear these changes will spoil the brutalist aesthetic of the building - which dates back to the 1960s.

The application has been recommended for approval by Thanet District Council (TDC) officers, with councillors set to vote on the plans at a meeting on Wednesday (September 18).

This means the “iconic” windows could soon be gone forever.

Ms Emin wrote on TDC’s planning portal: “Arlington House is a historic building in Margate. At the time of its construction, Margate was booming, and it was an emblem of the future.

“In the last few decades, it's been left to go to rack and ruin without care or respect for its monumental Brutalist architecture.

“Freshwater understood this responsibility when taking on this building.

“They cannot get away with replacing the originals with cheap, badly styled, inappropriate windows.

“As a flat owner in Arlington House, I'm totally opposed to their proposal. In short, these are wrong for this building.”

Ms Emin is not alone in her opposition.

Resident Simon Pengelly, 75, previously claimed he would try to electrocute anyone who tries to replace his windows.

Mr Pengelly said: “To replace them with tilt and turn would give a totally bizarre appearance from the outside, totally out of character with the design of the building.

“It would give it different reflections from all different angles.

“My windows will not be replaced. I will connect live mains to them if they try.

“They will not change these windows. So at least one flat will look different to the rest anyway.”

Some residents however are in favour of the changes - complaining that the current windows “rattle and shake” in the wind.

Lyndon Brand, 60, said: “None of them fit properly and they're all draughty. The wind howls through them.

“They're just terrible. They rattle and shake.

“There are many windows in the block that have had seagull strikes and cracked.

“In the summer, the heat distorts the frames and cracks the glass.”

In planning documents, Freshwater says these will be safer than the current design.

Meanwhile, in a report ahead of the planning committee hearing, a TDC officer wrote: “Overall, the proposed works would see the upgrading of the windows within the tower block to create a more thermally efficient building, with improved acoustic performance and safe openings that meet building regulations and fire safety requirements.”

The officer acknowledge that “not all occupants of the building are agreeable to the proposed works” - but said it is expected that not every window will be changed.

She continued: “The site is neither listed nor does it fall within the conservation area, but it does lie within close proximity of the historic environment.

“Although there is a general dislike within the community for the new design of the windows that have been chosen, evidence has been submitted confirming that like-for-like replacement sliding windows would not meet current building regulations.

“The proposed tilt and turn design will generate modestly wider frames, but otherwise, the glazing bar arrangement will appear in keeping with that of the existing windows.

“The proposed works will ultimately have a less than substantial impact upon the significance of the setting of the conservation area and listed buildings, which is considered to be, on balance, outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal.”

A controversial bid to replace the windows in an iconic 1960s high-rise has received more than 200 objections - including from Tracey Emin.

The world-famous artist, who owns a flat at Arlington House in Margate, says she is “totally opposed” to the “inappropriate” proposals.

Leaseholder Freshwater wants to swap the sliding design of the current windows - which some residents say are draughty - to a ‘tilt-and-turn’ style, which will result in “slightly thicker” frames.

Its application was recommended for approval by Thanet District Council (TDC) officers, with councillors set to vote on the plans at a meeting on Wednesday evening.

But it has now been pulled from the agenda so further consultation can take place and will be brought before the committee in due course.

But many residents fear the new windows will spoil the Brutalist aesthetic of the tower block.

Ms Emin wrote on TDC’s planning portal: “Arlington House is a historic building in Margate. At the time of its construction, Margate was booming, and it was an emblem of the future.

“In the last few decades, it's been left to go to rack and ruin without care or respect for its monumental brutalist architecture. Freshwater understood this responsibility when taking on this building.

“They cannot get away with replacing the originals with cheap, badly styled, inappropriate windows.

“As a flat owner in Arlington House, I'm totally opposed to their proposal. In short, these are wrong for this building.”

KentOnline previously spoke to residents of Arlington House, including Simon Pengelly, who claimed he would try to electrocute anyone who tries to replace his windows.

The 75-year-old said: “To replace them with tilt and turn would give a totally bizarre appearance from the outside, totally out of character with the design of the building.

“It would give it different reflections from all different angles.”

A tilt-and-turn window is built as one panel which leans in or out from the rest of the frame.

In planning documents, Freshwater says these will be safer than the current design.

But Mr Pengelly added: “My windows will not be replaced. I will connect live mains to them if they try.

“They will not change these windows. So at least one flat will look different to the rest anyway.”

However, some people living in the flats complain that the old windows “shake and rattle in the wind”.

Lyndon Brand, 60, said: “None of them fit properly and they're all draughty. The wind howls through them.

“They're just terrible. They rattle and shake.

“There are many windows in the block that have had seagull strikes and cracked.

“In the summer, the heat distorts the frames and cracks the glass.”

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal

In a report ahead of the planning committee hearing, a TDC officer wrote: “Overall, the proposed works would see the upgrading of the windows within the tower block to create a more thermally efficient building, with improved acoustic performance and safe openings that meet building regulations and fire safety requirements.”

She noted that “not all occupants of the building are agreeable to the proposed works”, and it is expected that not every one will be changed.

“The site is neither listed nor does it fall within the conservation area, but it does lie within close proximity of the historic environment,” she continued.

“Although there is a general dislike within the community for the new design of the windows that have been chosen, evidence has been submitted confirming that like-for-like replacement sliding windows would not meet current building regulations.

“The proposed tilt and turn design will generate modestly wider frames, but otherwise, the glazing bar arrangement will appear in keeping with that of the existing windows.

“The proposed works will ultimately have a less than substantial impact upon the significance of the setting of the conservation area and listed buildings, which is considered to be, on balance, outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal.”

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