Marine Court was constructed by South Coast Properties Company between 1936 and 1938. On 30 November 1936, the foundation stone was laid by Robert Holland-Martin, chairman of the Southern Railway. With 14 storeys and 170 ft tall, it was the tallest block of flats in the UK when it opened in 1938.

Marine Court was designed by architects Kenneth Dalgleish and Roger K. Pullen with overt references to the Cunard White-Star Line Queen Mary, which had entered commercial transatlantic service in 1936. It was an early pioneer of steel-frame construction, like the earlier De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea.

The balconies of the south elevation imitate the promenade deck aboard the Queen Mary. The upper storeys are stepped in from those beneath, like the superstructure of a ship. The ground floor shop frontages were black and sat beneath the blue cantilevered roof, which mimics the sea level. On a sunny day, residents could feel like they were enjoying a luxury cruise from the comfort of their own flat.

Marine Court was damaged at its eastern end by bombing during the Second World War and restoration of the building took place in 1949-1950. By the end of the 1990s, the managing agents had declared themselves bankrupt and the building had fallen into a worsening state, with soaring service charges.

With the coming of the new millennium, a brave and determined group of residents decided to apply for enfranchisement, to take over the freehold, and succeeded. The building was awarded Grade II-listed status in 1999.