A seafront cinema and nightclub could be given a refreshed look if a planning application is approved.

Odeon in West Street, Brighton, has applied to replace dated facades and signs with new stone-coloured panels and new illuminated signage.

The building’s window box, currently coloured by rust and covered with a vinyl promoting Odeon’s Limitless membership card, would also be replaced.

The cinema shares the building with a Costa Coffee cafe and the nightclub Pryzm.

The Argus: Residents have often complained about the building's 'ugly' appearanceResidents have often complained about the building's 'ugly' appearance (Image: The Argus)

In a planning application submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council, McFarlane Latter Architects said: “The facades are showing signs of wear (rust staining, flaking paint) and Odeon has approached the landlord to change the surface finish of the facades and the box window.”

The firm also said that residents of Brighton have had a “love/hate relationship” with the building after it first opened to the public in 1965 as the Top Rank Suite, with "many saying it was ugly and not in keeping with the buildings on the seafront".

Residents have complained for many years that the building's Modernist design contrasts poorly with other buildings along the coast.

The architects said that the proposed new design and colour of new facades “respect the building’s past, harmonise with the existing locality and maximises energy efficiency”.

The Argus: An artists' impression of the redesign for Odeon in West Street, BrightonAn artists' impression of the redesign for Odeon in West Street, Brighton (Image: McFarlane Latter Architects)

The report states: “The proposed design is to refurbish the public-facing facades of the building, in keeping with the original look of the building.

“Instead of a concrete finish, the intention is to use large ceramic “limestone” tiles with a “limestone” print in an ashlar pattern.

“The ceramic printed tile gives a near-perfect match to natural limestone with the added durability of ceramic tiles.

“The salt air and its corrosive ability is a major consideration. Risk of rust staining from iron deposits in the natural stone is removed with ceramic tiles.”

The planned revamp would also strip the facade of “years of accumulated paraphernalia”, the report said.