Medina House

The original Medina House in Hove, Sussex, was the eastern of two seafront buildings, located on either side of Sussex Road, which together comprised Hove Baths, later to become more popularly known as the Medina Baths. The western building housed the men's baths, and the eastern building housed the women's baths.

Initially owned by the Hove Baths and Laundry Company Limited, the buildings were designed by local architect Paul B Chambers, and built between 1893 and 1894. Medina House was officially opened on 12 September 1894. Inside were the women's slipper and swimming baths. These complemented the larger Men's baths and the laundry, both of which were in the building to the west of Sussex Road. The baths closed in June 1916. In 1918 the baths were rented, then purchased, by Hove Council. Their intention was to repair the men's baths and re-open them as soon as possible, but there were no plans for the women's baths in Medina House, which fell into disuse, was occupied by squatters, and then partially re-used again, until it was finally demolished in April 2018.

During this period, Sirus Taghan, the then owner, agreed that the occupants could remain so long as the property was kept in the same condition as before occupation. The squatters were eventually evicted in September 2006, although the property was re-occupied for a week at the end of January 2007.

Taghan submitted several applications to demolish the building. However, these were all turned down by the council and also opposed by local residents. There was a fire in the building May 2013, and again in December 2014, after which the site became increasingly derelict. Novelist Polly Samson and her husband, guitarist David Gilmour, purchased the building in late 2015. It was demolished with the plan to build a new home for the couple on the site in 2018. The new building on the site was completed in 2021.

Medina House was built in 1894 as the women's section of the Hove Baths (later, more popularly known as the Medina Baths). It provided a sea water swimming pool and slipper baths. Bathers were also able to access Victorian Turkish baths at the men's baths on Tuesdays and Thursdays from August 1908, when they opened, until some time around 1913, when they closed.

As part of Kings Esplanade, Medina House became part of the Cliftonville Conservation Area within Hove. Its listing describes it as a "Strange and whimsical building" that "Possesses some charm and character as well as historical significance."

During the Second World War it saw service as a makeshift hospital.

Previously owned by Hove Borough Council, it was at the end tenanted from the 1940s to 1994 by a firm of diamond cutters, Monnickendam, who tried to buy the premises from the council and were refused. Around the time that Hove Borough Council was merged with Brighton Council to form the Brighton and Hove unitary authority 1997–8, they instead sold it for circa £300,000 to Sirus Taghan.