Major £17m De La Warr Pavilion revamp gets approval

The De La Warr Pavilion was built in 1935

A £17m overhaul of the De La Warr Pavilion has been given the go-ahead.

The plans for the building in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, were approved by Rother District Council on Thursday.

They include refurbishing the auditorium and creating a new community and learning studio.

Built in 1935 in the modernist style, the Pavilion has Grade I listed status.

The project's costs are coming from the government, through the local authority, with money from other grants pending.

Stuart Drew, director of the pavilion's charitable trust, told BBC Radio Sussex he was "delighted".

"It's such a pivotal moment in the pavilion's history," he said.

He said the pavilion, which he described as a "space ship" and an "amazing Bauhaus building" was built on the town's seafront in 1935 and re-opened after undergoing a major restoration in 2005.

"In 2025 we've now got the opportunity to let the pavilion really sing, to give it the investment it needs, to create a master plan for the building for conservation and management," he added.

"But most importantly to improve facilities for audiences and for community engagement, which is critical."

Many of the building's internal features will be remodelled and brought up to date

Architect Lucy Picardo has been involved in drawing up the designs for the revamp.

She said: "The auditorium will be totally remodelled, with improved seats, better comfort, better sight lines.

"At the balcony we're enabling for the first time in the Pavilion's history accessibility, so you'll be able to sit up there if you're in a wheelchair.

"We're doing a remodelled main hall, putting a new bar in, doing a new learning studio which looks out to sea, new shop, toilets, improved cafe and restaurants, and also looking at sustainability throughout the building.

"It's an absolute privilege to work on this building and give it its next lease of life."