"...its form remains iconic, simple, and bold. Inside there is a feeling of glamour and spaciousness despite the building's modest footprint." (Architecture Week's review of the refurbishment, 1999)
The De La Warr Pavilion is a Grade I listed Modernist icon and an international centre for contemporary arts on the seafront in Bexhill On Sea.
The UK's first public building built in the Modernist style, the pavilion was commissioned in 1935 by the 9th Earl De La Warr. Its original purpose was to provide accessible culture and leisure for the people of Bexhill and beyond, and to regenerate the economy of the town and surrounding area.
As pioneering in structure as it was in spirit, this magnificent steel and concrete Pavilion was designed by renowned architects, Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff. The pavilion does not house a permanent collection, instead the flexible space lends itself perfectly to a changing calendar of exhibitions.
Over the last ten years the pavilion has presented landmark exhbitions from some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art, twentieth century artists including Antony Gormley, Susan Collins, Jeremy Deller, Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, John Cage, Grayson Perry and Tomoko Takahashi.
The De La Warr Pavilion is a Grade I listed Modernist icon and an international centre for contemporary arts on the seafront in Bexhill On Sea.
The UK's first public building built in the Modernist style, the pavilion was commissioned in 1935 by the 9th Earl De La Warr. Its original purpose was to provide accessible culture and leisure for the people of Bexhill and beyond, and to regenerate the economy of the town and surrounding area.
As pioneering in structure as it was in spirit, this magnificent steel and concrete Pavilion was designed by renowned architects, Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff. The pavilion does not house a permanent collection, instead the flexible space lends itself perfectly to a changing calendar of exhibitions.
Over the last ten years the pavilion has presented landmark exhbitions from some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art, twentieth century artists including Antony Gormley, Susan Collins, Jeremy Deller, Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, John Cage, Grayson Perry and Tomoko Takahashi.
We specifically visited last summer, not just to see the pavilion which I have been interested in seeing since the refurbishment and renovation work in the nineties but also to view the "Hang on a minute lads, I've got a great idea..." rooftop exhibition by sculptor Richard Wilson sponsored by Eddie Izzard and inspired by the classic movie the Italian Job.
We visited on a very windy and rainy day and felt rather vulnerable standing in the car park below! The artist has created a full sized replica coach balanced precariously on the edge of the pavilion roof!
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| rear view of the western end of the pavilion from the beach |
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| heart shaped back of performance podium in front of the pavilion |
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