Seasonality and the British climate represent a challenge for a seaside tourist city such as Southend.  The need for a covered indoor attraction was long overdue, however, given the constrained siting of the Adventure Island theme park straddling either side of the Grade II listed Southend Pier (the longest pleasure pier in the world) and the specially protected area (SPA) of the foreshore additional development represented a challenge.

The driving aim of this projects was to create a piece of architecture that is playful and identifiable, whilst also practical in relation to the scale of facilities provided.  This was achieved through the design of a simple asymmetric form, providing a vast open plan space housing indoor attractions including a swinging pirate ship to continue the legacy of the bygone and mischievous shipping heritage.