Revolutionary café now open

Thomas, whose ground-breaking projects have drawn admirers around the globe, said he had learned from his client's hands-on approach to "selling" the visionary building to daytrippers and residents as they strolled along the Promenade.

Speaking as the caf was officially opened on Tuesday, he said of Jane's enthusiasm: "It taught me a very good lesson, that the best clients to work for are those who are there on the case, living and breathing the project.

"Jane was there, looking everyone in the eye and asking them, 'Do you know what we are trying to do?', persuading them while she was serving them ice cream from the Mr Whippy machine. She has been the perfect information service."

Champagne corks popped to celebrate the opening of a building likely to attract visitors from far and wide, to see the work of a young designer variously described as "a genius" and a mix of Brunel and Terence Conran, and to enjoy a menu prepared with advice from a consultant to the legendary Rick Stein.

Media interest has seen the caf covered in the Times, Observer, Guardian, a host of design and style magazines and even Vogue.

"It's a very exciting day, for Thomas, for Littlehampton, for me," said Jane. "We opened in a low-key way at the weekend, and people were very positive. They were coming to see the building, many of them visiting Littlehampton for the first time and saying how lovely it is, and they couldn't believe they hadn't been before.

"We hope the caf can be a base for events to attract ever-increasing numbers of people to Littlehampton, starting with the extreme sports festival in September."

There was even a crew from Channel 4's Richard and Judy, filming the opening for an interview with Thomas on Friday's programme.

But the attention was focused just as much on the building as the people, its sinuous curves giving the ribbons of steel a sculptural appearance, while the glass frontage offers superb views of the English Channel. The steel has been treated with a special oil to protect it from the aggressive seaside conditions.

Inside the caf there are seats for 50 and, once the business is in full swing, a further 80 people can sit on the decking outside. Jane's daughter, Sophie Murray, is running the caf, with former Ritz chef David Whiteside in charge of the kitchen, with its own sea vista.

There's a strong emphasis on seafood, such as spaghetti with steamed cockles, grilled sardines with roasted tomatoes and beetroot, and beer battered fish and chips, but also the East Beach burger and chips, or a starter of ham hock terrine and piccalilli.

Tuesday was a day for all those involved to celebrate the caf, including Ernie Bayley and David Bowness, two welders from Littlehampton Welding, proud to see the structure they built now completed, project architect Peter Ayres and Albert Williamson-Taylor, of structural engineers Adams-Kara-Taylor.