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De La
Warre Pavillion - Bexhill-on-Sea, UK
Architect
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Erich Mendelsohn and Serge
Chermayeff |
Date Built
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Construction
began March 1935 - Opened December 12, 1935
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Location
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Seafront in
Bexhill-on-Sea
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Description
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The building was constructed out of
concrete and steel and it features large windows
and cantilevered balconies. It took 8
months to build at a cost of £80,000. The
building was intended to be a cultural centre
for Bexhill and for a while was. It
featured a 1000 seat auditorium and a lecture
hall hosting concerts, exhibitions and
talks. Apparently the flat roof was used
for deck-games.
War broke out four years after the building
opened and it was requisitioned by the Ministry
of Defence. It suffered bomb damage in
1940 and after the war it was patched up and
retured to its former role. In the
following decades the pavillion underwent
internal changes to reflect trends in design and
suffered from underfunding resulting in a
gradual deterioration.
In 1986 it was granted Grade 1 Listed status and
three years later the Pavilion Trust was set up
to protect and restore the building.
However, that process was a long time in
happening. It wasn't until 2002 that it
acquired £6million from the Heritage Lottery
Fund to make the restoration a reality.
Work started in 2004 and the restored buiding
opened to the public in October 2005. The
Guardian reported the event as follows: "At
noon today this Modern Movement building
reopens after a £8m restoration to the tune of
Sea Tongue, a specially commissioned choral
work by Orlando Gough involving 200 local
singers, ballroom dancers, four grand pianos,
five speakers, percussionist Giles Perring,
and The Shout, a 15-strong professional choir.
.... The restoration, shaped by John
McAslan and Partners, reveals one of the
largest contemporary art galleries in
south-east England, a 1,000-seat auditorium,
and a terraced restaurant. The first
large-scale lightweight welded steel-framed
building in England, the pavilion has been
restored with funding from the Council
England, Rother district council, the Heritage
Lottery Fund, and a range of individuals and
businesses." |
Below an exhibition of Anthony Gormley's sculptures on
the roof of the pavilion in the summer of 2010.
Close
Window
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