CONSTRUCTION work on the exterior of rock star David Gilmour’s house on Hove seafront is close to being “comfortably done”.

The Pink Floyd guitarist bought the former 19th century Turkish bathhouse with his wife, the novelist Polly Samson, in 2015.

The couple had the original building demolished last year after it was found to be beyond repair.

They have since set about building a replacement which is true to the spirit of the bathhouse.

Allan Ramsay, 59, an artist at Phoenix Gallery Brighton, admired the work taking place but did not know the building belonged to Gilmour, who is one of the world’s most revered rock guitarists.

Allan said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing it done.

“It’s great to see something wonderful and new taking place – it’s a positive contribution to the seafront.

“I knew nothing about whose house it is, but I like that it has been done in sympathy with previous buildings.

“Architecturally it certainly looks the part.”

The original Medina House dates from 1894, and formerly housed a laundry and women’s slipper baths.

The distinctive three-storey building formed part of the larger Medina Baths complex that stretched to the western corner of Sussex Road, and also contained two swimming pools and men’s slipper baths.

The couple’s new luxury home will have five bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a study, library, a gym and a courtyard garden.

Once complete, the house is expected to be one of the most valuable properties in the city and also one of the most spectacular.

Gilmour played an integral role in Pink Floyd after he joined the band. He subsequently became the band’s co-leader with Roger Waters after Syd Barrett departed.

He helped to create some of the most influential rock records of all time, including Dark Side Of The Moon, which is still a major seller and remains a fixture in the album charts despite being released 46 years ago, as well as Wish You Were Here and The Wall, which features the track Comfortably Numb .

He was voted the fourth best guitarist of all time in an online poll by loudersound.com last year, and his net worth is estimated to be about £140 million.

Polly Samson has written several short stories as well as the 2000 novel Out of the Picture.

She is also credited as a co-writer on some of Pink Floyd’s later albums, including The

Division Bell and The Endless River.