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MARINE CRESCENT
 Marine Crescent, a beautiful grade-II Listed row of former hotels and townhouses, dominates Folkestone’s seafront at the foot of the Victorian lift shaft. The area has long been neglected and had fallen into disrepair, despite once being an elegant and fashionable destination for Victorian and Edwardian holidaymakers. This conversion project is an integral part of the sensitive and considered facelift that the immediate area is undergoing, reflecting wider investment and regeneration in the town. Roger Joyce, principal architect at Roger Joyce Associates (the only practice in Folkestone), designed the conversion of these 14 adjoining seafront properties into 91 contemporary apartments, whilst ensuring that the original grandeur of the building is maintained. Inside the apartments, authentic plaster mouldings, decorative joinery and high ceilings have been used to guarantee that the spirit of the original period remains. Meanwhile, cutting-edge design marks out the interiors as superior-quality, contemporary dwellings. Care has been taken throughout the project to use local craftsmen and materials: joinery, ironwork and plaster mouldings have all been produced or assembled locally. This in itself has created the regeneration of skills, allowing local apprentices to learn and develop long-lost arts. Marine Crescent is a key part of a vision for Folkestone’s seafront and is central to the regeneration of the area. The nature of the conversion showcases building itself as an important part of the creative regeneration process.
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