Stairwell at De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill on Sea
The De La Warr Pavilion is an International Style building constructed in 1935, considered by some to be in an Art Deco style. Some claim it to be the first major Modernist public building in Britain, although in fact it was preceded by some months by the Dutch-influenced Hornsey Town Hall. It is located in Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, on the south coast of England. The new seafront building was the result of an architectural competition initiated by the Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr, after whom the building was named. The "De La Warr" in both the pavilion's name and the earl's name is pronounced "Delaware" (as in the American state). Construction of the De La Warr Pavilion began in January 1935. The building was opened on 12 December of the same year by the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). During World War II, the De La Warr Pavilion was used by the military. Bexhill and Sussex in general were vulnerable if the Germans decided to mount an invasion (Operation Sealion). Amongst those who served at the Pavilion during the War was noted comedian Spike Milligan. The building suffered minor damage to its foundations when the Metropole hotel adjacent to the building's western side was destroyed by German bombers. After the War, management of the Pavilion was taken over by Bexhill Corporation (which later became Rother District Council). Changes were made to the building, many of which were inconsistent with the original design and aesthetic of the building. Lack of funds also resulted in an ongoing degradation of the building’s fabric. In 1986 the De La Warr Pavilion was granted a Grade I listed Building status, essentially protecting the building from further inappropriate alteration.
Size: 3744px × 5616px
Location: Bexhill on Sea East Sussex England UK
Photo credit: © Neil Setchfield / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: architectural, architecture, art, bexhill, bexhill--sea, britain, british, building, chermayeff, coast, coastal, coastline, day, de, deco, england, english, erich, europe, european, interior, kingdom, la, mendelsohn, modernism, pavilion, project, sea, serge, staircase, stairs, stairwell, town, uk, united, warr
