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De La Warr Pavilion

Erich Mendelsohn, Serge Chermayeff, Bexhill on Sea, 1935

 

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View of glazed staircase from the terrace 

Architectural Review     Download Original

  • View of glazed staircase from the terrace    
  • View from the seafront    
  • Completed building with sketch overlay of proposed lido arcades and sculpture    
  • View from Edwardian bandstand    
  • Public reading room on the first floor    
  • The ground floor restaurant    
  • Lecture hall    
  • Main auditorium    
  • Ceiling of the auditorium    
  • View across the circular stair to the terrace beyond    
  • View towards the sun-deck    
  • View along a sun-deck    
  • View from the Edwardian seafront buildings    
  • Aerial view of the car park    
  • Aerial isometric plan including proposed hotel and lido    
  • Seafront sketch    
  • Sketch design for a silmilar project on a restricted urban site    

Art deco pavilion situated on the Bexhill sea front providing a cultural hub for the local community

Commissioned by the 9th Earl De La Warr the pavilion is one of the first public building to be built in the modernist Style in Britain.

The multi-purpose scheme combines entertainment facilities with a public cafe, restaurant, reading room and rooftop sun terrace. Designed to provide accessible culture and leisure for the people of Bexhill and beyond, the pavilion helped to regenerate the economy of the town and the surrounding area.

The construction is of concrete and steel, with large glass windows, cantilevered balconies, clean lines and terrazzo floors. Internally the design was cutting edge, with light cream and pastel walls, moulded plywood chairs designed by Alvar Aalto and a murals by artist Edward Wadsworth.

The pavilion was granted Grade I listed status in 1986 and after refurbishment in 2005 is now used as a contemporary arts centre.

Data

  • Begun: Mar 1935
  • Completed: Dec 1935
  • Sectors: Arts and culture, Sports and leisure
  • Total cost: £80,000
  • Address: De La Warr Pavilion, Marina, Bexhill on Sea, TN40 1DP, United Kingdom

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