Weymouth 'Bandstand' Pier

The subject of an Architectural Competition just before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Weymouth Pier Bandstand, as it became known, was the winning entry of Mr V J Wenning Esq LRIBA. Chosen from twenty-six entries the Weymouth Pier Bandstand was subsequently built, opening on 25th May 1939. Sitting slightly back from the esplanade on a semicircular bastion projecting seaward, the structures overall length only extended to 200ft (60m). However, viewed even today from the ferry terminal to the south, it continues to stand out quite noticeably as it breaks the gentle curve of the bay, this being one of the many criticisms levelled at the building over the years.

Intended as the ideal venue for summer performances, events and dancing, the design appears to have been fundamentally flawed in that only a third of the 2,400 audience seats were under the cover of the two cantilever roofs. Knowing the unpredictability of the English weather this appears to have been a major oversight and a case of an aesthetically pleasing design winning over practical usage. In the event of rain the inadequate cover along both sides of the auditorium became a little overcrowded as you can imagine.

Weymouth Pier Bandstand originally consisted of a raised deck area with glazed shelters along both sides, leading to a semicircular Bandstand as the focal point at the seaward end. The aforementioned cantilever roof protected the shelters and ensured that no columns were required that would have impaired the audience's view.

Around the outer rim ran a promenade that was screened of from the auditorium area. Fronting the bandstand at the shoreward end was an art deco style entrance building with a first floor cafe overlooking the whole scene. Overall 3,000 tons of concrete, along with 180 tons of steel, 5.5miles of electrical conduit, 2,500ft (757m) of neon tubing and 1,200 light bulbs were used during the course of construction.

By the 1970s the complex included amusements, gift shop and restaurant, but by 1985 the seaward end bandstand had became too costly to maintain. It was subsequently demolished by two schoolgirls who, in the May of 1986, had won a national competition to 'press the button'. Now the entrance building is all that remains and although in a good state of repair, the building overall seems even more out of place and has somehow lost its soul.