Completed in 1935, the grade I-listed De La Warr Pavilion by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff is widely regarded as Britain’s finest example of interwar Streamline Moderne architecture. Located on the south coast at Bexhill-on-Sea, the pavilion was conceived as a ‘People’s Palace’, a progressive arts centre whose democratic values were reflected in its design.
Client: Rother District Council
Dates: 1991—2005
Architect:
John McAslan + Partners
Consultants
FJ Samuely & Partners
Davis Langdon & Everest
Maynard Mortimer & Gibbons
Rybka Battle
General Contractor:
Corben
Restoration and renewal
JMP was appointed in the 1990s to lead a long-term, phased programme of restoration and extension. By that time, much of the building’s fabric and services were life-expired, and visitor numbers had declined. Drawing on extensive historical and architectural research, the project combined careful reinstatement of original features with new interventions designed to support contemporary cultural use.
The scheme included the remodelling of the auditorium, the creation of a new art gallery and restaurant, and the addition of two new wings housing rehearsal and performance facilities. Completed in 2006, the renovation has re-established the pavilion as a major regional arts centre. Today it welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, its elegant spaces once again serving as a lively venue for exhibitions and live performance.
