De La Warr Pavilion

The De La Warr Pavilion was the result of an open competition run by the RIBA at the request of the Borough Council in 1932. The selected design resulted in the building of one of the first big welded steel-framed structures in Britain. It is now regarded as one of the icons of the inter-War International Modern Movement, described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘Mendelsohn’s magnum opus during the short time that he lived in England’ and ‘as exhilarating today as it was when it was new and a revolution for the English seaside’.

In a prominent position on the front, its rectilinear, unornamented and imperforate walls toward the sea make a dramatic contrast with its generously projecting staircase tower, whose decks penetrate curving glass walls.

Years of seaside exposure took their toll as severe damage to the concrete facings was caused by rusting steel. In 1989 a structural survey was undertaken and a programme of repair recommended. A Pavilion Trust was then created to assist the Council with necessary fund raising. By 1994 over £1 million had been spent on repairs and a campaign to remove damaging internal alterations and restore the original architects’ design intentions was commenced.

The auditorium is capable of improvement as a theatre space. It is flat-floored, surrounded on three sides by fixed seating. The stage has 20 hemp lines with space for a further 12, a trap and a carpet cut.

The Italianate Colonnade with domed end pavilions, which formerly had a bandstand at its centre, predates the Pavilion. It was built in 1911 to the designs of J B Wall.