The Art Deco style took the world by storm over a century ago and there are still plenty of people who love to look out for its bold geometric designs. Some great places in London give you a chance to get an Art Deco break by spotting the following things.
Where Can You Find Art Deco in the World?
This style started at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris and soon spread across the planet. Napier in New Zealand is considered the Art Deco capital of the world, as it was rebuilt entirely in this style following an earthquake in 1931. New York took the style and turned it into a way of creating eye-catching skyscrapers like the Empire State Building.
Naturally, it reached London and the UK capital soon had some elegant Art Deco buildings dotted across it. The style can be seen in the entertainment industry in movies such as Metropolis and Art Deco Detective. We can also see it when we play live roulette games, as Lightning Roulette by Evolution is set in an Art Deco studio. This is one of the themed games live-streamed to the player’s screen. The dealers add to the atmosphere as they’re dressed in classy gold-and-black outfits that are perfect for the era.
Check Out the Architecture
Art Deco tours held across London help visitors spot some of the capital’s buildings that were inspired by this trend. Even people who have walked London’s streets many times might be surprised to discover that they’ve gone past Art Deco gems without noticing. Baker Street is a good place to start, while Whitechapel is another area with some surprises from this era.
The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley is one of the UK’s oldest purpose-built cinemas and maintains its glorious Art Deco interior to this day. You might also decide to stay in an At Deco-inspired hotel, with The Savoy and Claridge’s among the best places to stay in London while soaking up this style’s luxury and geometric elegance. Croydon Airport is another place you might want to visit to enjoy this unique style.
Ride the Underground
The London Underground holds many surprises, with the fact that some stations are based on Art Deco style among them. In most cases, this is due to the work of architect Charles Holden, who designed many stations on the Northern and Piccadilly lines. He went for a simple style, removing anything that he felt was an unnecessary detail.
Gants Hill in East London is one of his later designs, which is notable for having no street-level building. In fact, this station was partly inspired by the Moscow Metro system, which the London Passenger Transport Board had helped to design. Holden also designed the likes of Redbridge and Uxbridge stations, while Southgate on the Piccadilly line is arguably his most famous Art Deco design.
All these different ways of enjoying the unique Art Deco style make up a great idea for a break in London, or just as an excuse for residents to look for something different in the city that they’ve never noticed before now.
