Check out some of the best spots to steep yourself in Art Deco history and gather inspiration

By Caroline McConnico

1

Battersea Power Station

Having been famously restored and re-opened to the public, Battersea Power Station is now one of London’s most iconic Art Deco landmarks. Turbine Hall A has been restored to its original Art Deco splendour, with the roof and end windows reglazed to allow natural light to stream in. The old gantry cranes and travelling rail have been left as they are, and you can see footprints of the old turbine machinery laid in brick on the floor. In Control Room A (open for private events) you can admire the striking Art Deco glass ceiling.

2 

Tooting Bec Lido

Tooting Bec Lido’s Art Deco style can be seen in the iconic cubicle doors, all painted a different vibrant colour, perfect for an Instagrammable afternoon at the pool. The main entrance of Tooting Bec Lido was also designed in art deco style in 2002 by WM architects of London. These design elements have made the Lido a popular destination full of unique Art Deco character.

3 

The Sheraton Grand 

The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane hotel is full of Art Deco staples like rose gold details, marble floors, and even a cabaret stage in the ballroom. The hotel opened in 1927 and was designed in a grand style to be one of London’s finest examples of Art Deco architecture. The ballroom has a sprung maple dance floor and other intricate decorative elements; The Palm Court bar area has marble elements and vaulted ceilings; The Art Deco suites transport guests right to the 1920s. The hotel takes pride in celebrating its rich Art Deco heritage and often hosts special events with 1920s themes, like the Great Gatsby Afternoon Tea experience.

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4 

OXO Tower

The OXO Tower is a prominent London Art Deco landmark built in the late 1920s. The iconic tower was originally designed for the windows to resemble the OXO beef stock logo, in order to get around a ban on skyline advertising. The green top of the tower adds to the Art Deco design with its signature colour. Today, you can eat and drink at the OXO tower’s restaurant and bar. You can also look out on the small viewing deck between the terraces of the restaurant and bar to get a glimpse of the city.

5 

The Beaumont

This hotel, originally built as a garage in 1926 and transformed into a boutique hotel in 2014, is a great place to check out London’s Art Deco architecture and how it blends with modern luxury. The hotel features signature Art Deco details like geometric patterns, marble and polished wood, and rich colours like greens, golds and blacks. Other features include the striking geometric flooring and wall coverings, and bathrooms with intricate black mosaics and marble detailing. Antiques and original artwork also complements the Art Deco theme of the hotel, making you feel like you just stepped out of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

6 

Walthamstow Stadium

The Walthamstow Stadium’s facade is a prominent example of Art Deco architecture in London. The stadium, originally used as a greyhound racing track, features a distinctive and streamlined design including ornamentation and concrete and neon elements. The entrance to the stadium is complete with pylons and tote board, two elements essential to old Art Deco stadiums. The stadium itself is an important East London landmark and symbol of early 20th-century working-class culture.

7 

The Royal Institute of British Architects

Constructed in the 1930s, the Royal Institute of British Architects blends modern and classical Art Deco elements internally and externally. Key features of the Institute’s Art Deco style include the elegant bronze entrance doors and etched glass panels. One room even has a leather wall covering! Today, the space is a popular event space and is used as a venue for meetings, receptions, weddings, and film screenings. The building is also a Grade II listed building, signifying its architectural and historical importance.

8 

Gaumont State Cinema

Experience a slice of the Big Apple at the Gaumont State Cinema, partly inspired by the Empire State Building in New York City. Designed by George Coles, the Gaumont State Cinema opened in 1937. The exterior of the cinema was designed in an Art Deco Italian Renaissance style, with cream ceramic tiles. The tower of the building was designed in the style of a 1930s New York skyscraper and bears the name “State” in large red neon letters. Inside sits one of the largest fully functioning Wurlitzer organs in Britain. The organ is also one of the few cinema organs still in their original locations.

9 

Daily Express Building

The Daily Express Building has all of the ornate elements from the Art Deco movement. Designed to house the Daily Express newspaper, the building features a black exterior with rounded corners in vitrolite and clear glass with chromium strips. The lobby includes plaster reliefs, silver decorations, a stunning pendant lamp and an oval staircase. The building was refurbished in 2000, including a recreated foyer and upgraded exterior. Currently, the building is occupied by Goldman Sachs.

10 

Streatham

Streatham, known as the Art Deco capital of South London, has many different buildings with a robust Art Deco design. The area features buildings with zig-zag ornamentation, geometric shapes and horizontal and vertical lines. They include the Century House, a former jewellery company headquarters with a striking tower and clock faces, Pulman Court, a modernist residential development with 1930s dance floors and swimming pools, and Leighman Court Road Building, a former newspaper building with a central crowned tower and glazed stairwell.