The Pavilion was restored in 2005 following contributions from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. © De La Warr Pavilion

The voting for the 2007 Readers' Poll for the Gulbenkian Prize is now closed

24 Hour Museum continues its alphabetical round up of museums on this year's longlist for the Gulbenkian Prize with a look at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea.

The De La Warr Pavilion celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2005 by re-opening its doors to the public following an £8 million restoration. This restoration has seen the Pavilion holding its title as a world famous Grade I listed building, an icon of the Modernist movement and a contender for the Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries.

In 1933 the socialist Mayor of Bexhill, Earl De La Warr, launched an international competition for a new arts space that would showcase entertainment and contemporary arts in the South of England.

Influenced by the Bauhaus and Modernist movements of the time, Earl De La Warr wanted a public arts space, simple in design, light in appearance, with large window spaces, terraces and canopies, in keeping with new architectural trends.

The De La Warr Pavilion was designed and built in 1935 by architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff. It sits on the south coast of England and boasts breathtaking panoramic sea views.

Modernist architectural trends of the 1930s inspired the building © De La Warr Pavilion

The welded steel frame of the Pavilion was fully restored in 2005 with contributions from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund to fulfil its original ambitions and make culture, arts and leisure accessible to the public. Today the De La Warr Pavilion represents a breakthrough example of international modernist style, pioneering in both structure and spirit.

A leading centre for contemporary art, architecture, education and live performance, the Pavilion saw a rise in visitor figures from 150,000 to 500,000 in its reopening year. It has become one of the busiest contemporary art galleries in the South East.

The gallery seeks to engage artists and audiences alike with the new and commissioned work that remains central to the building’s artistic programme. A varied range of media is explored within the De La Warr Pavilion’s innovative exhibitions. The Pavilion offers free tours to the public, where the world-class building can be appreciated alongside the exhibitions of international contemporary art.

The Pavilion bandstand was shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architecture Sterling Award; the feature was designed by local primary school children, architects and architecture students.

Breathtaking panoramic sea views are just one feature of this iconic Grade I listed building. © De La Warr Pavilion

A 1,000-seat auditorium provides a space for musical, operatic, theatrical shows and band performances. The Pavilion also holds school festivals in the auditorium in a bid to extend its education and community programme.

The De La Warr Pavilion places education at the core of its programme to enhance people’s ability to engage with contemporary art as audience, commentator and participant. The unique and iconic building has inspired seminars, courses and practical workshops.