Winter Garden

Winter Garden (Floral and Pavilion Hall)

This Winter Garden was built between 1875 and 1876 to designs by Henry Currey, the architect to the Devonshire Estate. It underwent significant alterations and additions around 1910 by J W Woolnough, and received further alterations throughout the later twentieth century.

The building has a cast iron frame with matchboard infill beneath roofs clad with zinc panels, which were later covered over with a twentieth-century metal roof. The 1910 park side addition is constructed in stuccoed brick, and later twentieth-century alterations to the road side feature metal-framed windows within obscured glazed walling.

The plan consists primarily of two large back-to-back halls fronted by an entrance block facing south onto the road.

The entrance block is two storeys tall under a flat roof, with a projecting centre section flanked by stepped wings. At ground floor level the centre has two sets of multi-pane entrance doors set within rendered wall with a moulded cornice above, topped by regular casement windows set within glazed walling under a plain fascia. The left-side wing ground floor is clad in horizontal timber cladding, with casement windows in glazed walling at first floor. The right-side wing ground floor displays the visible cast iron frame with chamfered columns rising to gothic capitals, connected horizontally by a band with circular mouldings. The windows are multi-pane and set within timber panels, with casement windows in glazed walling above. Further to the right stands a single-storey early twentieth-century brick structure faced with flint panels, featuring high-set multi-pane windows under broad segmental arches with moulded keystones that rise to a cornice. A pair of pedestrian entrances to the west end have wrought-iron gates and round-headed brick arches with moulded keystones.

The curved mansard-type roof of the Pavilion Hall rises above the rear of the entrance block, clad with coursed metal panels. The top features a squat central square tower (ventilator) timber panelled with cast iron decorative cresting and flagpoles. The side elevations display a visible cast iron frame with decorative mouldings infilled with timber boarding.

The rear elevation is fronted by a tri-domed centrepiece dating from 1910 in the Edwardian baroque style with Beaux-Arts influence, particularly evident in the roof shape and dormers. The centrepiece projects forward of flanking wings all under a dentil cornice, with a broken pediment supported by paired Ionic columns flanked by scrolls and a decorative bracket in the tympanum above a segmental window. Below this are four bays of tall multi-pane windows delineated by paired Ionic columns. The flanking wings have multi-pane circular windows with decorative keystones, swags and frieze, continuing to the return and delineated by Ionic pilasters. The roof carries a large central dome with smaller domes to each wing. The central dome features a semi-circular ring of lunettes in decorative architraves, whilst the side domes are ribbed, framing button-shaped mouldings, with central finials. Either side of the centrepiece the ground floor has multi-pane transom windows interspersed with French windows following the curve of the original rear hall. To the right side is an early twentieth-century porch entrance with multi-pane doors flanked by coupled Ionic columns under a dentil cornice. Various later twentieth-century additions include a garage and fire escape.

The Floral Hall roof is clad in coursed metal panels and is hemispherical at each end, topped by two squat square towers (ventilators) timber panelled with cast iron decorative cresting and flagpoles.

The entrance block foyer at ground floor level features former offices and ticket booths above. The Pavilion Hall contains a large conference room at first floor level and an open bar area with ancillary rooms below. The Floral Hall is a double-height single-storey space fitted out as a theatre with a stage to the rear flanked by dressing rooms.

The entrance block foyer and stairs, altered around 1910, are decorated in Edwardian baroque style with Ionic pilasters, swags and egg and dart mouldings. The floor is tessellated black and white marble with a black string and buff coloured border. The first floor former offices and ticket booths have been removed, leaving a single large space across the building front where the cast iron frame is exposed. The office access stairs have moulded timber balusters and newel posts.

Within the foyer, the main stairs are white marble, descending under a glazed gallery to the Floral Hall level. Side stairs rise to the first floor, passing panelled doors with former ticket window openings. The Pavilion Hall first floor is entered through four pairs of multi-pane timber doors in round-headed classical doorcases. The hall at this level is a single open space with classical wall detailing including regular Ionic pilasters supporting brackets engaged with a cornice. The visible bow girder roof is formed of decorated zinc panels, and the flooring is covered in parquet blocks.

Beneath the Pavilion Hall three aisles are formed by arcades of cast iron columns with stylised capitals. The middle aisle has a multi-pane glazed screen with Art-Deco glazed doors and late twentieth-century handles. Towards the screen centre is a timber plaque commemorating the purchase of the Winter Garden by Eastbourne Corporation in 1931. Toilet entrances at this level have classical round-headed doorcases, and to the east end is a late twentieth-century bar area with a lantern roof.

The Floral Hall has an encircling outer ambulatory aisle of cast iron columns decorated with lion head mouldings and engaged with a cornice. The floor is timber planked. The roof is open, supported by iron ribs tensioned by steel rods and cross members. The apses and central bays have Y-girders, the latter supporting a proscenium arch of around 1910, decorated with swags, lion heads and a central shell cartouche. Behind the stage are dressing rooms fitted with typical early twentieth-century fixtures and fittings.