A LIDO that sits just inland of the Bristol Channel has reopened its doors after a huge makeover.
Portishead Open Air Pool was closed for the season last year while it underwent huge upgrades – but it is back open for business.
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Portishead Open Air Pool has opened after a £1.3million refurbishmentCredit: TripAdvisorThe café at the swimming pool in Portishead has a new look tooCredit: Portishead Open Air Pool
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On its website, organisers announced: “Our pool refurbishment is complete and we are open for the heated season.
“The Café has re-opened following refurbishment and is now open Monday to Sunday – please come and visit us!”
Portishead Open Air Pool has been open for 64 years, but closed briefly in 2025 to undergo improvement works with its £1.3million grant.
One of the new additions to the pool includes solar panels which means it’s “fit for the future” according to Chair of the Portishead Pool Community Trust, Claudia Amos.
She added that this means Portishead is actually warmer than some indoor pools and sits around 28C between April and September.
Other improvement works include that to the café and changing rooms.
The pool itself is 33 metres long, and there’s a toddler pool alongside it for little ones.
For those who want to head in for a swim, a session in the lanes costs £7 per person.
Family and general swims are £6.50 for adults and £5 for children (those age two and under go free).
There are also Twilight Swim sessions from £7.25 and a Full Moon swim is £8per person.
During the winter, the lido welcomes brave cold water swimmers from 9am until midday – and for those who are new to the trend, it does have ‘introduction to Cold Water’ sessions too.
The on-site café, which also underwent a makeover is open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm and weekends 9am – 4pm.
After a swim, you can pick up homemade cakes, sausage rolls, soup, paninis, teacakes and ice cream.
Portishead Open Air Pool has recently reopened after a huge makeoverCredit: Alamy
Here are of our favourite UK holiday parks (and some even have swimming pools)…
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Park Holidays UK Sand le Mere, Yorkshire
This holiday park in Yorkshire is a thriving family resort, just steps from Tunstall Beach. Entertainment is what this resort does best, with costume character performances, Link-up Bingo and cabaret shows. Accommodation ranges from fully-equipped Gold Caravans to Platinum Lodges with sun decks and luxury bedding.
This beachfront resort in St Ives, Cornwall is a true beach bum’s paradise – whether you want to laze out on the sand, or take to the waves for some surfing. Activities include disc golf, a Nerf challenge and an outdoor cinema, as well as indoor activities for the colder months like karaoke, bingo and DJ sets.
This holiday park has loads of unique activities on offer, including TikTok dance classes, alpaca feeding, a pump track for BMX riding, and taking a ride on the resort’s very own miniature railway. Throw in bug hotel and den building, pond dipping, survival skills workshops and a lake for paddleboard and pedalo hire, and you’ve got yourself an action-packed park.
Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands, Sussex This beachfront resort is a classic family favourite. If you’re not up to swimming in the sea, there’s four fantastic pools here, as well as water flumes, underwater jets, inflatable jet skis and kayak races. Plus if you’ve got any little fans of Paw Patrol or Milkshake!, you’ll be glad to know there’s Milkshake! Mornings and Paw Patrol Mighty Missions to keep your tots entertained.
All this comes as the U.S. and Iran appear closer to reaching a deal to end the war, which we will discuss in greater detail later in this story. The temporary ceasefire between the two countries ends April 21.
“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” Sayyed Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated on X Friday morning.
In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.
That route is a narrow five-mile stretch between the islands of Qeshem and Larak, roughly 15 miles from the Iranian shoreline.
In a post on his Truth Social site, U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the decision but said it did not change the ongoing blockade.
“THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE,” Trump stated. “THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED.”
Trump:
The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran only, until our transaction with Iran is 100% complete! pic.twitter.com/YMGS5BUGjD
The president added that “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” However, there was no immediate response from Tehran.
Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World! President DONALD J. TRUMP
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 17, 2026
Regarding any peace deals, Trump said on his Truth Social network that the “U.S.A. will get all Nuclear ‘Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form.”
This was a reference to the Operation Midnight Hammer attack on Iranian nuclear facilities last year. Iran is believed to have about 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% of the explosive uranium isotope, U-235 stored at these locations.
“This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” Trump added.
“The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear “Dust,” created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form.” pic.twitter.com/vkRVe30AzT
It remains to be seen how this will play out. Iran’s state TV, citing a senior military official, highlighted that “only civilian vessels will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via designated routes and with permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.”
“The passage of military vessels through the strait remains prohibited,” it said.
Iran’s state TV, citing a senior military official, said “only civilian vessels will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via designated routes and with permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.”
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 17, 2026
Despite the closure, ships have still transited the strategic body of water through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports pass. Ship traffic through the Strait actually “increased from last month’s unusually low levels, with crossings rising and activity extending across a broader mix of vessel types and cargoes,” according to the global trade intelligence firm Kpler.
Traffic gradually returns to Hormuz
Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has increased from last month’s unusually low levels, with crossings rising and activity extending across a broader mix of vessel types and cargoes. Movements are becoming more balanced in both… pic.twitter.com/FPjw0s3N9k
There is also still the issue of mines in the section of the Strait outside the Qeshem-Larak passage. Demining is one of the issues being discussed today in an international meeting being held in Paris, a French official told us. We’ll discuss this meeting in a little more detail later in this story.
Trump, however, claimed that “Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed or is removing all sea mines!”
The Strait of Hormuz and Qeshem and Larak islands. (Google Earth)
We have reached out to shippers and maritime analysis and security firms to get a clearer picture of what this decision means from their perspectives.
“This is good news,” a spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd told us. “There are still some open questions on our end, but they might be resolved within the next 24 hours. Top priority for the passage is safety and security for the seafarers, the vessel and the cargo of our customers. If all open issues are cleared (i.e. insurance coverage, clear orders of Iranian government/military about the exact sea corridor to be used and the sequence of ships leaving) we would prefer to pass the strait as soon as possible. Our crisis committee is in session and will try to resolve all open items with the relevant parties within the next 24-36 hours.”
The reopening of the Strait “marks a turn for global shipping, as it allows over 750 vessels previously trapped in the Middle East Gulf to begin clearing approximately $17 billion in stranded energy and dry bulk cargoes,” Kpler told us. “As of April 17, 2026, there are 862 vessels currently operating within the Mideast Gulf. The core of the backlog is composed of approximately 187 laden tankers carrying roughly 172 million barrels of crude and refined products, along with a specialized cluster of 15 LNG vessels that remain almost entirely stalled following the collapse of recent ceasefire talks.”
The Strait reopening and a looming new round of peace talks appears to have provided a boost to the world economy.
“Oil prices are falling by more than 10%, and Wall Street is rallying toward another record after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, which would allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf again and carry crude to customers worldwide,” The Associated Press reported. “The S&P 500 rallied 0.7% as U.S. stocks sprinted toward the finish of a third straight week of big gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1%.”
Stocks “have rallied more than 11% since late March on hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy,” the wire service added.
BREAKING: President Trump and Iran’s foreign minister say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open. Crude oil prices tumble 10% after the announcements. https://t.co/d44au7X8UP
He insisted that doing so will not involve U.S. ground troops. But when asked who would retrieve it, he would only say “our people.”
“No. No troops,” he told the network. “We’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it. We’ll be getting it together because by that time, we’ll have an agreement and there’s no need for fighting when there’s an agreement. Nice right? That’s better. We would have done it the other way if we had to.”
The president said the material would then be brought to the U.S.
“Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it. And then we’ll take it to the United States,” he said.
NEWS President Trump tells me:
-No ground troops will be required to remove enriched uranium from Iran
-Iran has agreed to stop backing all proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas
-I asked if Iran has agreed to stop enriching uranium *forever.” He said, “They’ve agreed to…
Speaking to the White House press corps, Trump addressed questions about the peace process.
“We’ll see how it all turns out, but it should be good, some very good discussions, and hopefully that subject that you like to talk about will be very good,” he said. “And we’ve done a good job, but we’ll see … the talks are going on and going over the weekend, and a lot of good things are happening that includes Lebanon.”
Asked about differences with Iran on how all this is developing, Trump said: “If there are, I’m going to straighten it out. .. don’t think there’s too many significant differences.”
As for the blockade: “When the agreement is signed, the blockade ends,” he proclaimed.
Earlier on Friday, Iranian officials said they would close the Strait again if the blockade is not lifted.
“We’ve had some very good discussions… Talks are going on. It’ll go on over the weekend — and a lot of good things are happening,” says @POTUS in Arizona.
Trump told Axios that U.S. and Iranian negotiators will probably meet this weekend, and he expects them to hammer out a final deal to end the war. The deal should come “in a day or two,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid added on X.
UPDATE: 1:28 PM EDT –
Trump told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. will work with Iran to recover its enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States.
“We’re going to get it together. We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery… We’ll bring it back to the United States,” Trump said during a phone interview.
The United States will work with Tehran to recover its enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday.
“We’re going to get it together. We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and… pic.twitter.com/ZfwJTFrIbr
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 17, 2026
UPDATE: 1:17 PM EDT –
Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s president, pushed back on Trump’s claim that Iran promised never to close the Strait again.
“The Twitter rhetoric and baseless statements of the enemy are aimed at stripping the Iranian nation of their sense of pride for the great victories they have achieved through their resolute defense,” he stated on X. “The conditional and limited reopening of a portion of the Strait of Hormuz is solely an Iranian initiative, one that creates responsibility and serves to test the firm commitments of the opposing side. If they renege on their promises, they will face dire consequences.”
لفاظیهای توئیتری و اظهارات بیپایه دشمن، در جهت سلب احساس افتخار ملت ایران برای پیروزیهای بزرگی است که در دفاع مقتدرانه کسب کردهاند. بازگشایی مشروط و محدود بخشی از تنگه هرمز ، صرفا ابتکاری ایرانی، مسئولیتآفرین و برای آزمون تعهدات قطعی طرف مقابل است. بدعهدی کنند، بد میبینند.
Iran considers the continuation of the U.S. blockade on its ports a ceasefire violation and would close the Strait of Hormuz again if the blockade is not lifted, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported citing an informed source close to the Supreme National Security Council.
We’ve reached out to the White House for comment.
Iranian official to Fars:
If the maritime blockade continues, it will be considered a violation of the ceasefire, and the Strait of Hormuz transit route will be closed.
With new talks potentially set to be held in Pakistan over the weekend, the U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war, Axios reported Friday morning. One of the key elements under discussion is “that the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium,” the outlet noted, citing two U.S. officials and two additional sources briefed on the talks.
The Memo of Understanding (MoU) also states the two sides are negotiating over a “voluntary” moratorium on nuclear enrichment by Iran. It also deals with the Strait of Hormuz, “though the sources said there are still significant gaps on that issue,” Axios posited.
It’s unclear if the MOU refers to Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for regional proxies.
🚨 SCOOP: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war, with one element under discussion being that the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium. https://t.co/w84Yd8JHgp
“Trump is directly talking to the Iranians,” U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News.
“He is negotiating himself,” Graham proffered. “He was on the phone with the Iranians a couple of days ago, and it got rather sporty—to the point that Trump loudly told Iran what would happen if they keep playing games. He actually lost his voice. I’d hate to be the Iranian on the receiving end of that.”
Senator Graham:
Trump is directly talking to the Iranians. He is negotiating himself.
He was on the phone with the Iranians a couple of days ago, and it got rather sporty—to the point that Trump loudly told Iran what would happen if they keep playing games.
Despite rising hopes that the war in Iran could soon end, the country’s deputy foreign minister on Friday rejected any call for a temporary ceasefire. Instead, Tehran is seeking a comprehensive end to conflict across the Middle East, Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters today. That includes fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, currently paused on the first full day of a shaky 10-day ceasefire.
“We are not accepting any temporary ceasefire,” Khatibzadeh said on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum hosted by Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Any end to the fighting must include all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea,” he added, describing it as a “red line” for Iran.
The cycle of violence “should end here once and for all,” Khatibzadeh continued, according to Al Jazeera.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) said it is ready to resume fighting if needed.
The Army and the IRGC have their “finger on the trigger” and are “prepared to deliver a powerful, destructive, and regret-inducing response to any aggressive or criminal action by the US-Israeli enemy and their allies against the Iranian nation,” the IRGC said Friday.
As we noted earlier in this story, the leaders of nearly three dozen nations met – mostly virtually – at a conference in Paris today to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
Co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the conference on the Initiative for Maritime Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz looked at ways of protecting shipping after the fighting ends.
Starmer said the U.K. and France will lead a multinational mission to “protect freedom of navigation” in the Strait as soon as conditions permit. He added that the mission would be “strictly peaceful and defensive,” with the aim of reassuring commercial shipping and supporting mine clearance efforts.
Starmer invited other countries to join, saying that roughly a dozen countries had committed to contributing assets.
Kaja Kallas, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, said leaders also discussed ensuring that Iran imposes no tolls on passage through the Strait.
“Any pay-for-passage scheme will set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes,” she stated on X. “Iran has to abandon any plan to levy transit fees. Europe will play its part in restoring the free flow of energy and trade, once a ceasefire takes hold.”
Kallas added that the EU’s Aspides naval mission is already operating in the Red Sea “and can be quickly strengthened to protect shipping across the region. This could be the fastest way to provide support.”
Yesterday, a spokesman for Aspides told us that there were no changes in its mission.
Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge. This is what leaders made clear in their call on reopening the Strait today.
Any pay-for-passage scheme will set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes.… pic.twitter.com/Jeufv4hQou
SEASIDE lovers are in for a treat as an iconic pier is finally re-opening today.
The historic 145-year-old pier is back in business after a grueling six-month closure that left locals and tourists high and dry.
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A historic 145-year-old pier is officially re-opening todayCredit: Alamy
Hythe Pier, which stretches a whopping 700 yards into Southampton Water, has undergone a massive “deep clean” and vital electrical upgrades to make it ship-shape for the public.
And the best part is it’ll cost sun-seekers just £1 to take a stroll and soak up the stunning coastal views.
Local leaders are hailing the move as a massive “first step” in bringing the Hampshire town’s “beating heart” back to life.
The pier, which first opened its doors in 1881, was forced to shut last year due to safety concerns and infrastructure wobbles.
But thanks to a band of dedicated volunteers and local businesses, the Grade II-listed structure is ready for action once again.
A spokesperson for the Hythe Pier, Train and Ferry Group previously said: “We could see how incredibly important it was that we bring our much-loved pier back to the community.
“Every £1 you spend goes back into the pier, supporting its future. Come and walk the full length, take in the views, and be part of this next chapter.”
While the walkway is officially open from 10am today, fans of the pier’s world-famous railway will have to wait a little longer.
Work is still ongoing to get the vintage carriages and the ferry service back on track, but bosses are “hopeful” the full service will be restored soon.
Hythe councillor Malcolm Wade said: “It’s really good news that it has been opened so residents can go up and down the pier again.”
The pier’s reopening is a major shot in the arm for the quaint town, which relies on the landmark to draw in thousands of visitors every year.
Hythe Pier’s reopening is a major shot in the arm for the quaint townCredit: Alamy
A MAJOR holiday park has reopened after a huge £5million revamp with loads of brand new attractions, and what’s even better – you can stay there with The Sun’s new Hols from £9.50 campaign.
You can access these offers early by signing up to Sun Clubfor just £1.99 a month, where members gain automatic access onto the website one day earlier than everyone else, at just past midnight.
Once you’re a member, go to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the Hols From £9.50 page. Follow the link from the offers page, and you can book your break from midnight on Tuesday, March 31.
That’s a whole 24 hours headstart, as the Sun newspaper readers who are collecting tokens get access to the holidays on April 1.
Vauxhall Holiday park’s two to three room caravans sleep up to eight people, while the park also offers apartments and luxury lodges.
Great Yarmouth on Norfolk‘s east coast has long been one of the UK’s top beach resorts for holidaymakers seeking sand and sun.
The town boasts a soft sand beach known as ‘the golden mile’, with plenty of shops, cafes andrestaurantswithin a short walking distance.
Smack-bang on the beachfront is Joyland, a historic amusement park with plenty of classic rides that are sure to fill you with nostalgia.
This colourful family theme park is perfect for little ones, home to mini rollercoasters and the award-winning Super Snails. The attraction is free to enter, with ride tokens costing £3 each.
For older kids, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is sure to go down a treat with an exciting mix of white-knuckle thrills, child friendly rides and even a 4D cinema.
Undoubtedly the star of the show is a traditional wooden roller coaster, which first opened in 1932 and one of only two still standing in the UK.
All the ways to book a holiday from £9.50
There are five routes to book our Hols From £9.50
Book online: Simply collectcodewords printed in The Sun paper up until Wednesday, April 1. Then enter them at thesun.co.uk/holidays to unlock booking from April 1.
Book with Sun Club: Join Sun Club at thesun.co.uk/club for £1.99 per month or £12 for the year. Go to the Sun Club Offers hub and click through to the Hols from £9.50 page. You do not need to collect any codewords or Sun Savers codes. Booking opens for Sun Club members onTuesday, March 31.
Book with Sun Savers: Download the Sun Savers app or register at sunsavers.co.uk. Then go to the ‘Offers’ section of Sun Savers and click ‘Start Collecting’ on the ‘Hols From £9.50’ page. Collect TWO Sun Savers codes from those printed at the bottom of the Sun Savers page in the newspaper up until April 1. Then enter or scan the codes on Sun Savers to unlock booking.
Book by post: Collect TWO of the codewords printed in The Sun each day up until Wednesday, April 1. Cut the codeword out and send it back with the booking form – found in paper onApril 1 or online at thesun.co.uk/holidays.
Book with The Sun Digital Newspaper: Sign up to The Sun Digital Newspaper at thesun.co.uk/newspaper. Then download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk, log in to Sun Savers with your Sun account details (the same email and password you use for your Digital Newspaper) and enjoy automatic access to Hols, without the need to collect Sun Savers codes daily. Booking opens onApril 1.
Great Yarmouth has been one of the UK’s most popular beach staycations for centuriesCredit: Alamy
One of the most painstaking architectural renewals in recent Los Angeles memory has finally pulled a world-class jewel of modern architecture from obscurity.
Designed by pioneering Modernist architect Richard Neutra in 1928, with limited collaboration from another Modernist icon, Rudolph Schindler, the Jardinette Apartments had been hiding in plain sight on an unassuming Hollywood street for nearly a century. The complex was a technical and spatial breakthrough, and quickly gained international renown as one of the earliest International Style structures in the United States, not to mention Neutra’s first L.A. commission.
But the building’s original owner, Joseph H. Miller, went bankrupt during construction and skipped town to avoid his creditors, and the Jardinette slipped from view. “After that early burst, it just disappeared,” said Barbara Lamprecht, historical consultant for the Jardinette’s rehabilitation, which is just now wrapping up.
For decades the building stood quietly along West Marathon Street: an austere, four-story complex that most people passed without a second glance. Wedged between Western Avenue and Manhattan Place, amid stucco apartment blocks and scrappy bungalows, the edifice had, until recently, grown increasingly shabby as time and neglect took their unforgiving toll.
That changed with the intervention of a newcomer to historic preservation named Cameron Hassid. For years the tireless local developer and his tenacious team have willed the Herculean restoration project to the finish line. Hassid plans to bring the apartments to market before the end of the month.
Property owner Cameron Hassid, left, and Neema Ahadian, commercial real estate agent for Hassid, on the scenic rooftop of the Richard Neutra-designed Jardinette Apartments in Los Angeles. Neutra imagined the Jardinette Apartments as a prototype for future garden apartment buildings. Nearly 100 years later, the Jardinette is set to reopen after a lengthy redevelopment.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A Radical Design
When the Jardinette first opened it was featured prominently in a seminal survey of early avant-garde apartment housing called “The Modern Flat,” while European architectural publications from Paris to Moscow showcased it as an exemplar of functionalist design, noted Nicholas Olsberg, an architectural historian and curator who has written extensively about Neutra. “It was seen worldwide as one of the signal examples of the new architecture,” Olsberg added.
The Northeast corner of the Jardinette Apartments, circa 1930. When the building first opened in 1928 it was a technical and spatial breakthrough—but it suffered from years of neglect after falling from view.
(Richard and Dion Papers, Collection 1179, UCLA Special Collections)
Built inside and out with reinforced concrete — a modern industrial material that had rarely been employed for housing— the sculpted, U-shaped building, whose jogging corners, projecting sills and swaths of dark and light paint gave it a powerful visual rhythm, used its structural heft to liberate its facade.
Long horizontal bands of easy-to-open steel casement windows, some complemented with concrete balconies, drew daylight and air deep into its 43 efficiently organized units — studios and one bedrooms, ranging from about 400 to 700 square feet — and opened them to wide views of the street and, on higher floors, the Hollywood Hills. Hallways and stairs were saturated with natural light thanks to skylights and strategically placed windows. At the forecourt a modest garden, then dominated by a huge cedar tree, softened the building’s mass, giving the project its name: Jardinette, the little garden.
A roof covered the original skylights in the Jardinette Apartments, but they are now fully exposed.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“Arguably my father had more influence on apartment design than he did on house design,” said Neutra’s son Raymond, pointing to several Neutra designs offering indoor/outdoor lifestyles via “garden apartments.” Raymond, who was on site a few weeks ago, has toured the rehabilitation multiple times.
The Jardinette was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument two years later. Yet despite its formal protections, the building continued its long drift into disrepair.
In 2016 Jardinette’s previous owner, Robert Clippinger, began reviving it, hiring Lamprecht’s firm, Modern Resources, as well as June Street Architecture and land use consultants Cali Planners. The team filed a comprehensive Historic Structure Report that helped secure much-needed tax relief via the Mills Act, a state preservation program. But Clippinger soon faltered under the weight of the many developmental requirements to bring the historic building back. Lawsuits followed. Financing collapsed.
A carpeted hallway beneath an original skylight at the Richard Neutra-designed Jardinette Apartments in Los Angeles. The Jardinette was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument two years later.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Hassid bought the building in December 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping Clippinger’s core designers and consultants in place.
Decades of negligence and neglect had proved both a curse and a blessing. Many original steel windows had been swapped out for cheap vinyl replacements. Larger units had been subdivided. At one point the building had been repainted an unfortunate pastel peach and green. Electrical systems dated back nearly a century. Gas water heaters punched vents through the concrete walls.
Yet because the building never attracted a well-funded modernization campaign, much of its essential fabric remained intact.
“Had it been owned by people with more resources,” noted Lamprecht, “there might have been upgrades that blurred the sense of history.”
Corey Miller, a principal at June Street Architecture, described his first encounter with the almost empty property: “There had been 43 units with 43 different people who had been left to their own devices,” Miller said. “Every time we peeled back a layer, there was something worse.”
Unit 302, inhabited for four decades by a single tenant, retained the most original fabric, including an early icebox cabinet. But it also contained endless layers of grime and clutter. It was “disgusting,” Miller said bluntly, but invaluable as forensic evidence. Much of it — like tiles, windows and millwork — were reproduced around the building.
The 128 Jardinette Apartments were painstakingly restored with an eye toward preserving original details including kitchen cabinets, sinks and iceboxes.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The perils of rehabilitating a historic treasure
When Hassid called Miller to ask about buying the building, Miller remembers his response clearly. “You probably have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” he told him.
Hassid’s love of early modern architecture began as a child. His grandparents lived at 848 N. Kings Road in West Hollywood, with a balcony overlooking Schindler’s famed house. So Hassid was familiar with Jardinette’s geometric forms and clean lines. His mother reacted with angry skepticism when he first raised the idea of acquiring the building, but encouraged him to buy it after she learned about the connection.
Nostalgia did not make the rehabilitation any easier. Technical plans required approval, and fixes weren’t straightforward within a protected treasure. “You can’t just go into a historic building with a sledgehammer,” Hassid said. Every move had to align with federal preservation standards and the commitments embedded in the Mills Act contract. Lambert Giessinger, Los Angeles’ historic architect and Mills Act administrator, acted as liaison. Inspections were frequent. Conditions were exacting.
“It’s stressful to have people looking at everything,” Miller admitted. But he credits both Giessinger and Lamprecht with pragmatism. “They were under no illusion that this was going to be done 100% perfect,” he added.
“There’s a lot of wonky stuff in this building that will remain wonky forever,” noted Lamprecht, pointing to settling areas and imperfect details.
Michael Norberg, a land use consultant for the Jardinette Apartments preservation project, stands on the balcony of a unit at the Richard Neutra-designed complex, which will soon reopen after prolonged development issues.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The astonishingly complex rehabilitation revealed a simple-looking building that was anything but. The board-formed concrete carried a subtle wood-grain texture, which had to be left intact, even as seismic reinforcements were added beneath the surface. The finish on white stucco shifted from smooth to pebbled on the walls’ higher reaches, and this had to be carefully re-created.
Original trim had to be salvaged and repaired wherever possible. Kitchens were rebuilt based on archival drawings and surviving fragments. Bathrooms, originally designed around tubs, required discrete tile extensions to accommodate modern showers. The paint scheme, which has been returned to a warm, off-white concrete field with blackish-green bands emphasizing the window walls, had to be reconstructed from historic photographs. Wine red concrete lobby floors were revealed under ungainly tile. Large stairwell skylights were uncovered, while unique, cube-shaped stair post lights were rehabilitated.
Plenty of white tiles replicate the original look in this bathroom in the historic Richard Neutra-designed Jardinette Apartments. One floor of the newly preserved 1928 complex features original doors and kitchen cabinets.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Support infrastructure, threaded through the thick concrete frame, was perhaps the messiest challenge. Fire sprinklers, mandated by code, had to remain visible because they could not run through joists without compromising historic fabric. New electrical, plumbing and ventilation had to snake around (or burrow through) beams that original plans didn’t note.
Hassid chose to add air conditioning, and the resulting electrical loads required a 13-foot-deep vault beneath the courtyard. That addition will limit what can be planted in the central garden.
The view from the large windows in a newly restored unit of the Richard Neutra-designed Jardinette Apartments. Original skylights were also preserved during a remarkably complex historic preservation effort.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The team preserved as many original steel casement windows as possible on the primary north-facing facade. These are interspersed with custom reproductions throughout.
The rehabilitation costs climbed past $5 million — accounting for structural analysis, waterproofing, electrical overhaul, plumbing, mechanical, windows, flooring, sprinklers, cabinetry, landscaping — an ever expanding list.
“If I knew then what I know now,” Hassid said with a weary laugh, “I’m not sure I would have done it.” He paused. “But listen, I’m happy I did.”
Today, the building’s value is clear. The courtyard, with vegetation still waiting to grow, is again a communal garden framed by cantilevered balconies. The flat facades have regained their subtle play of depth and shadow. New systems hum quietly, concealed as carefully as possible.
But the building’s renewal has not made it immune to its surroundings. Portions of the exterior were tagged during construction, and some windows have even been shot out by BB guns. As it reemerges, Jardinette could become a lightning rod for those who fear gentrification.
Modernist architect Richard Neutra imagined his first Los Angeles project, the Jardinette Apartments, as a prototype for future garden apartment buildings, but the building fell into disrepair and obscurity for decades. A newly completed historic preservation project will allow it to reopen soon.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Hassid, who initially planned to keep the building, is now testing the waters for a sale with the help of local broker Neema Ahadian of Marcus & Millichap. He said he’s already gotten calls from potential buyers in both the affordable and market-rate sectors. Affordable housing, he added, would be fitting because the smaller units were originally used that way — often for people working in nearby Hollywood studios. The building’s lack of parking could be another factor pushing the sale in that direction.
“I want to leave my options open,” said Hassid. “It’s bittersweet, because we put so much into it.”
Despite swearing off the project more than once, he is hooked by the process.
“I’m looking for my next historic building. After doing it, I know the mistakes I made and how to minimize the lag,” he said.
“This is such a good niche. Others run away from it. I love it because I love the challenge.”
The shiny new escalators will be up and running from today – eight days earlier than TfL had announced – and should last the station 30-40 years.
The station is also much brighter as the escalators have rows of lights and the area has been whitewashed.
The pale blue panels have been replaced with white panels, which reflect light much better and have a noticeable effect on the station’s appearance.
A new lift has also been installed as well as energy-efficient lighting, upgraded safety features, local artwork, and a new raised ceiling.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, told The Sun previously that it was “fantastic” the major upgrade at Cutty Sark DLR station could be delivered earlier than expected.
Before it closed, Cutty Sark was the third busiest station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), after Canary Wharf and Limehouse.
Thousands of passengers were forced to take the 121 station steps at Cutty Stark due to faulty escalatorsCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
