Sun Shelter, Cliff Gardens

The sun shelter at Cliff Gardens was completed in 1928. It is constructed from brick and Portland stone, with an asphalt-covered roof. The building has a segmental arc shape that faces south over the Thames estuary.

Located at the top of the Westcliff, the rear of the shelter is built into the cliff, and its flat roof seamlessly integrates with the promenade along Westcliff Parade. The structure features a central section that is bowed and consists of three bays, flanked by symmetrical wings, also with three bays each. The ends of the shelter are marked by projecting square pavilions, each with a single bay. The bays are supported by Doric columns made of Portland stone, which are round in the open colonnade and square where they connect to an unglazed grid of astragals.

On the exterior, there is a rooftop parapet made of brick laid in Flemish bond, which transitions to a stone balustrade above the wing colonnades.

Inside, wooden benches with armrests line the rear walls, providing views of the gardens and the estuary. Two grids of unglazed astragals separate the central bow from the wings, while the floor and walls are finished in cement.