2020-03-20

Do you want to know what happened in British Community last week?

Peter will take you to the coastal town of Bexhill in England. The De La Warr Pavilion（Photo 1） is a landmark modernist building of historic importance. It is an icon of the modern movement, completed in 1935 well ahead of its time both in its use of technology but also a mixed use development which acts as a centre of culture and social interaction for the modest sized coastal town of Bexhill on England’s south coast.

Are you curious who designed it?

Designed by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff after winning an international competition, this building succeeds as a surprising and unexpected iconic landmark in this sleepy English town.

Its design expresses the movement and meeting of people and celebrates the sunshine and light of its seaside setting with its generous sun terraces and sweeping staircase (Photo 2) and cantilevered balcony. These distinctive architectural elements have been mimicked with varying degrees of success and by architects across the world right up to the present day. It has a style and look which remains fashionable and even sells merchandise and branded products today. The design has made full use of the latest technologies of its time using a steel frame construction and expressive use of concrete. It has also provided a centre and gathering point which is truly inclusive for old and young in the cultural activities and arts based functions that it contains.

After visiting the beautiful coastal town of the De La Warr Pavilion, friends in China will be tempted to ask. Will there be similar buildings in China?

We at Haskoll have also tried to create building projects across China that have human scale and interest that can act as neighbourhood social centers. (photo 3)

These also use architectural form, exciting design concepts and creative ideas to serve the needs of the people that will use them. （Photo 4）

I think in the next few years with the new emphasis on quality of living and meeting the social needs of communities in smaller towns and villages as well as the outlying neighborhoods of the bigger cities this will become a focus for China’s sustainable urban development. （Photo 5）

Thank you for coming into this "tour". Please continue to follow Haskoll Tweets 3 next week!