Publications
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea; Architects: Mendelsohn & Chermayeff, by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff, published 15 February 1936 in Country Life (article, pp.26-27)
Maker of Bexhill-on-Sea: the 8th Earl De La Warr, by Aylwin Guilmant, published September 1982 in Sussex Genealogist and Family Historian (vol. 4 no. 2, article, pp.45-51) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8893] & The Keep [LIB/501190] & CD SXGS from S.F.H.G.
Earl De La Warr and the Competition for the Bexhill Pavilion, 1933-34, by Russell Stevens and Peter Willis, published January 1990 in Architectural History the journal the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (vol. 33, article, pp.135-166) View Online
Abstract:Among the distinguishing architectural features of the red-brick seaside town of Bexhill, East Sussex, is the startling white form of the De La Warr Pavilion. It is a building of some significance, partly because it represents the aspirations of British proponents of modern architecture in the 1930s in its appearance, its use of advanced constructional techniques (it was one of the first all-welded steel framed buildings in Britain) and its social function as an entertainment centre which aimed to provide amusement and simultaneously improve people's mental and physical fitness. The architects of the Pavilion, Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff, had formed their partnership in 1933 when Mendelsohn had been forced to leave Berlin and emigrate to Britain; subsequently they triumphed in an open competition of 230 entries which provides a fascinating commentary on the ideological debate among British architects of the time, not least because of the architectural range represented by the designs which failed to win an award.
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea , by Graham Whitham, published 1994 (32 pp., Bexhill: Pavilion Trust Education Project) accessible at: R.I.B.A. Library & East Sussex Libraries
Bucking the trend: the life and times of the ninth Earl De La Warr 1900-1976, by Alastair Fairley, published 7 April 2001 (64 pp., Bexhill: Pavilion Trust, ISBN-10: 0954035003 & ISBN-13: 9780954035006) accessible at: R.I.B.A. Library & East Sussex Libraries
Bandstand, Bexhill, England, by Niall Mclaughlin Architects, published 2002 in The Architectural review (Issue 1262, article, pp.38-41)
De La Warr pavilion: the modernist masterpiece, by Alastair Fairley, published 2006 (172 pp., London: Merrell, ISBN-10: 1858942837 & ISBN-13: 9781858942834) accessible at: R.I.B.A. Library & East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:The De La Warr Pavilion on the south coast of England is an important piece of British modern movement architecture. This text tells the fascinating story of the pavilion's genesis, construction, post-war decline and recent restoration, and celebrates its new life as a vibrant cultural centre.
The Repair and Alterations of the De La Warr Pavilion: Intervening in History, by Mark Cannata, published 2006 in Journal of Architectural Conservation (vol. 12, issue 2, article) View Online
Abstract:The Grade I listed De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex is widely considered to be the most important Modern Movement building of the 1930s in Britain, and is an important landmark in the history of twentieth-century architecture. Pioneering in structure as it was in spirit, the purpose of this steel and concrete pavilion was to provide accessible culture and leisure for the people. It was the first public building in Britain designed and built on International Style principles - an inspiration, amongst others, for the Royal Festival Hall - and is one of the few surviving buildings designed by Mendelsohn.
The aim of the first section of this two-part paper is to outline the history of the De La Warr Pavilion, its rise and fall and, above all, the background factors that made its conservation possible and the context in which the project was developed. The second section will look in greater detail at the technical issues related to the causes of the building's demise and decay, its repair and the principles, methodology and techniques that were applied to the project.
The aim of the first section of this two-part paper is to outline the history of the De La Warr Pavilion, its rise and fall and, above all, the background factors that made its conservation possible and the context in which the project was developed. The second section will look in greater detail at the technical issues related to the causes of the building's demise and decay, its repair and the principles, methodology and techniques that were applied to the project.
De La Warr Pavilion: a short history, by Graham Whitham, published 2010 (28 pp., Bexhill Museum) accessible at: R.I.B.A. Library & East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:The De La Warr Pavilion on the south coast of England is an important piece of British modern movement architecture. This text tells the fascinating story of the pavilion's genesis, construction, post-war decline and recent restoration, and celebrates its new life as a vibrant cultural centre.
On whether to restore the Bexhill pavilion, extending No. 66, marvellous Clasp schools, published 2010 in RIBA Journal (vol. 117, no. 9, article, pp.18-19) accessible at: R.I.B.A. Library