Art Deco Britain: Buildings of the interwar years
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The definitive guide to Art Deco buildings in Britain.
The perennially popular style of Art Deco influenced architecture and design all over the world in the 1920s and 1930s – from elegant Parisian theatres to glamorous Manhattan skyscrapers. The style was also adopted by British architects, but, until now, there has been little that really explains the what, where and how of Art Deco buildings in Britain. In Art Deco Britain, leading architecture historian and writer Elain Harwood, brings her trademark clarity and enthusiasm to the subject as she explores Britain’s Art Deco buildings.
Art Deco Britain, published in association with the Twentieth Century Society, is the definitive guide to the architectural style in Britain. The book begins with an overview of the international Art Deco style, and how this influenced building design in Britain. The buildings covered include Houses and Flats; Churches and Public Buildings; Offices; Hotels and Public Houses; Cinemas, Theatres and Concert Halls; and many more.
The book covers some of the best-loved and some lesser-known buildings around the UK, such as the Midland Hotel in Morecambe, Eltham Palace, Broadcasting House and the Carreras Cigarette Factory in London. Beautifully produced and richly illustrated with architectural photography, this is the definitive guide to a much-loved architecture style.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Batsford, Illustrated edition (3 Oct. 2019) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 272 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1849945276 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1849945271 |
| Dimensions | 19.51 x 2.59 x 25.22 cm |
by Mary chapman
Lovely looking book but shame only one pic of each building. I needed to cross reference on the internet
by Val Brown
This is the sort of book you return to again and again, for the sheer pleasure of the illustrations and the wonderfully informative and sympathetic text. If you’re a fan of Art Deco, this is for you, without question. The only drawback is that the book is slightly small: books of this kind are usually a few centimetres taller and wider than this, to make the most of the illustrations. Still bigger than average, but if huge coffee table books are your thing, this one will look petite next to the others in your collection. But there again, it fits nicely onto a regular bookshelf, which the big ones won’t…
by Robin
An excellent introduction to the many Art Deco (or Moderne) buildings in the Britain. Architectural historian Harwood knows her stuff and writes about these buildings with authority, it also seems she took most of the photos, too. Oddly there isn’t a contents page but the nine chapters are very comprehensive, it seem to covers it all: Houses; Churches and public buildings; Offices; Shops and cafes; Hotels and pubs; Cinemas and theatres; Sports buildings; Industrial; Transport.
Each building is on a spread with one large colour photo and a brief background essay about the architects and a description of the structure. Nicely the address is included so you can use Street View to find the site and its surroundings. Virtually all the buildings are Listed Grade II and obviously conform to the Deco or Moderne style though I thought there were two anomalies: Ealing Village housing and the King and Queen pub in Brighton, both seemed to be from an age before Art Deco and an omission is Mendelsohn and Chermayeff’s De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, East Sussex.
It’s well worth getting for its coverage of the style though a bibliography would have been useful for those who want to know more. The book was published to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Twentieth Century Society, the charity dedicated to preserving these wonderful buildings. Look at some spreads from the book here: Westread Book Reviews then click 2020 March.
by Robin
I bought this book on impulse having seen it in the window of a book shop that was rather foolishly closed on a Sunday! I’m very glad that I did as it has given me many happy hours of reading pleasure. It covers a number of iconic buildings of period and many more lesser ones. My only criticism is it could have been more “coffee table” in format and about twice the size. These buildings are truly magnificent and are crying out for having their history described in greater detail. That said this is a good first volume to wet one’s appetite. Highly recommended.
by classicist
Bought this for Christmas for my newly qualified architect son . Great information as well as fantastic clear photographs . An eclectic range of buildings . A must for anyone who loves Art Deco
by Bob M
This is exciting due to the author’s thorough knowledge of these buildings and some impressive back-ground blurb. It’s organised in such a way that various types of building are illustrated. Makes me want to visit some of the places, and marvel at how I’ve hitherto missed out on being aware of spectacular examples! Some derelict buildings are included, and many which are happily, recently, expensively refurbished and re-purposed.
I just wish there had been thorough editing, because sentences are unreadable. A very odd term used is “giant order”. “More” has to be a comparative term: More than what ? The index isn’t 100% correct yet. I hope the next issue will address an easier run of reading. That’s why I marked it at only 4.
by Vicky
Beautiful book ideal present for any art deco lover
by Me likes
This book is amazing. Ike are up in London and some of the buildings I grew up near Light Battersea power station, Peter Jones in Sloane Square. They have stories on the design. Have a build a bear can see the look is just brilliant it’s lovely it’s a really nice book is Summers into art deco design definitely worth buying for them it’s a must it’s just a shame it’s a small book because it be lovely if it was bigger