The Kursaal

The Kursaal II is an amusement park building dating from 1898 to 1899, designed by George Sherrin. It is constructed of red brick with stone dressings, a concrete and steel structure, and has slate roofs, partly glazed. The building follows an L-plan, with a domed central hall and a canted corner entrance. To the left of the entrance is a two-storey range of shops, with a former dining hall to the rear. To the right is a two-storey former bar with a former dance hall to the rear.

The principal elevation is divided into two parts. The left side is a symmetrical range of nine bays with a central entrance beneath an open segmental pediment, flanked by shops, banded brick and stone pilasters and quoins, a moulded cornice, and tripartite first-floor windows with Doric column mullions. The right side has two tripartite facades of two storeys and an attic, with a canted corner range featuring later doors and each topped with a Flemish gable with an open segmental pediment. A Diocletian attic window is present, with a moulded keystone and voussoirs, a cornice, and pilasters mirroring those below. Terracotta swags decorate the facade. The bar range projects slightly to the right of the entrance, featuring a hipped roof and a brick parapet, with a single, later first floor window. A canopy with cast iron columns fronts the whole ground floor of this elevation, with later boarding obscuring the roof.

The north elevation includes a tripartite range of two storeys and an attic under a pediment, with detailing matching the principal facade, and a plain recessed range with two gables. The base of the dome is square, with a Corinthian order, each elevation distyle in antis. Coupled columns project at the corners, with glazing between the columns and a dentilled cornice. The dome has eight occulae in scrolled surrounds and a lantern with scrolled supports to each pier, topped with an onion dome and tall finial.

Internally, the central hall retains a glass inner dome, a wrought iron balustrade to the upper gallery, and elaborate plasterwork including tunnel vaults, a moulded cornice and foliate capitals. The remainder of the interior was derelict at the time of inspection, with rear halls gutted and partly demolished, and shop fronts boarded.

The building is the principal surviving part of a former 26-acre amusement park, originally including a menagerie, music hall, funfair, ninety shops and fifty-three houses. It appears largely unaltered. The Kursaal represents Sherrin’s major work outside of London, following his completion of the London Oratory dome. The building is considered the principal architectural monument to Southend’s Edwardian boom period and has important townscape value.