I can imagine that it must be a nice effect either way, emerging from the gardens onto the seafront or vice versa. Let's hope they get it re-opened and re-used. The Reading Room looks pretty vandalised in the StreetView picture (without hoardings), which is a shame.
That is correct.
I didn't realize there were "Esplanade Cottages", nor a lower structure that was the Old Reading Room and part of the whole ensemble.
This is why Brighton Bike Tag is so good (one of the reasons)... you learn more about your town!
When I was doing the tag originally, I was just thinking of the Alice / Lewis Carroll angle:-
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10915806.brightons-very-own-wonderland/