First opened on the 12th of October 1868, 57 West Street was home to the Brighton Hammam, the largest Turkish Baths south of London. The baths, costing more than £14,000, were often acclaimed as the best in the world.

With the decline of Turkish Baths at the end of the 19th century, the building was converted into a 400 seater cinema - The Academy. This remained open until 1939, although was remodelled several times!

In recent history, the building has been a bar in several incarnations, including Sweet Fanny Adams, The Shark Bar and in 2004, Heist.