Conservation Management Plan, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea, Sussex
The Pavilion is one of the Britain’s best known and finest Modernist buildings. Constructed in 1934, to the competition winning design of Eric Mendelssohn and Serge Chermayeff, the building has had a problematic history. A number of interventions have been carried out to the fabric, some of which were unsympathetic. This, combined with the building’s aggressive environment, and long periods of neglect during the 1960s and 1970s, means that the task of maintaining the building is a complex business, and requires immense skill and knowledge to ensure that the culturally significant elements of the Pavilion are safeguarded, and that well meaning repairs do not do yet more damage to the already fragmented fabric.
It was therefore with these issues in mind that the Trustees asked Sean Albuquerque, of ABQ Studio, and Bob Barton to write a Conservation Management Plan for the Pavilion. The purpose of the Plan was to provide guidance on the history, nature of construction, and provenance of the various parts of the Pavilion, and to also provide a strategy for implementing any repairs or interventions. The Pavilion is a thriving arts centre, and iconic building, and the demands of serving the public means that there is a continual need for advice on conservation strategy.
Bob Barton can be seen talking about the De La Warr Pavilion in the YouTube clip above which was filmed as part of the Institute of Civil Engineers' "What Do Engineers Do?" series.
Architect ABQ Studio
Client The De La Warr Pavilion Trust
