The Colonnade

The Colonnade

A sheltered seaside structure for outdoor concerts and performances, built in 1911 to commemorate the Coronation of George V. It was designed by J.B. Wall, FRIBA, in Classical style and constructed of brick and concrete, painted and rendered, with ornamental and structural cast iron and tiled floors.

The building comprises a central single-storey semi-circular section flanked by two-storey circular pavilions, with single-storey shelters leading off at the sides and flights of steps providing access to an upper level at the ends.

The central colonnade consists of eleven bays with curved colonnading. The front three bays are convex and are supported on Tuscan columns with an entablature and balustrading above, decorated with six cast iron lamp standards with globular lamps. The frieze of the central three bays carries the inscription 'ERECTED MCMXI KING GEORGE V CORONATION YEAR'. The western bay bears the inscription 'ALDERMAN J A PATON J P. MAYOR' and the eastern bay 'J B WALL. F.R.I.B.A. ARCHITECT'. The concrete roof of the central three bays is supported on two cast iron columns. The rear wall is painted brick in stretcher bond with plain pilasters and a central doorway, probably leading to storage facilities. The western end bay and the eastern four bays have been blocked to form an office and cafe with rusticated walls, cambered arches and keystones. The ends of the colonnade feature round-headed arches with keystones. The semi-circular colonnade is enclosed by low concrete planters and three semi-circular concrete steps.

Attached to either side of the colonnade are two-storey circular pavilions. The ground floors have rusticated pilasters and round-headed windows with keystones. The upper levels comprise circular domed shelters supported on eight Tuscan columns. Attached to each side are convex curved single-storey shelters supported on ornamental cast iron columns with cast iron balustrading above. Flights of concrete steps with solid balustrading and corner piers with pyramidal caps connect to an upper promenade level at the ends.

The colonnade was originally situated in front of a coastguard station, which was replaced in 1936 by the De La Warr Pavilion. The structure survives substantially intact and forms part of a significant group with the De La Warr Pavilion and Nos. 4-22 Marina Court Avenue.