My favourite Art Deco buildings and other gems. Part I

Back by popular demand! Having led these last year, a number of guys asked for me to repeat them. Look out for Part II on 28 March and Part III on 11 April. 

Join me as we take a trip around central London exploring my favourite Art Deco buildings and other architectural delights along the way. I'm by no means an expert, but I do love Art Deco and different styles of architecture and I will endeavour to provide some background about each building from my own research. We'll also pass a number of historic monuments and other notable places of interest. 

Walking route and itinerary

This is a linear walk starting at London Bridge Station and ending near Blackfriars rail and underground stations. 

This route map can be viewed in OS Maps, but is for guidance only. The exact route may differ slightly on the day due to construction work. 

After a short introduction to the different Art Deco architectural styles, our first building is directly opposite us - St Olaf House (1928). We'll have a look at its inscriptions and ornate entrance before making our way to London Bridge via Queens Walk. Crossing the River Thames we'll stop to admire the view of the City of London and look back at Hayes Wharf. Our second Art Deco building is Adelaide House (1925), which is currently undergoing renovation. Photos will be shown. 

Next we pass the Monument (1671), then head up onto Eastcheap to admire the many different architectural styles, with the Walkie-Talkie or 20 Fenchchurch Street building dominating the skyline. We'll pass Tower Hill Station and view a section of the Roman London Wall tucked behind a hotel. Our third Art Deco building is the spectacular Ibex House (1937). We'll then pass a number of skyscrapers in the City and make our way to the imposing Guildhall (1411), via the Bank of England. 

After a short walk, we arrive at The Barbican Estate (1965), where we can stop for about an hour to have some lunch, you can view the current exhibition or visit the conservatory or walk around this unique brutalist estate. 

Our fourth Art Deco masterpiece is Florin Court (1936) in the historic Charterhouse Square, before we head past Smithfield Market towards  Farringdon Street. After navigating around a construction site we pass through some secluded alleyways to Fleet Street. Our fifth and sixth Art Deco buildings are the former Daily Telegraph (1928) (currently under some scaffolding) and Daily Express (1930)  buildings. 

Note there's not much room to stand here due to the major construction works opposite, so take care. 

The final part of the walk takes us to the Embankment, where we can admire our seventh and final Art Deco building the Oxo Tower (1928) and Sea Containers House across the river. It's then a 2 min walk to Blackfriars train and underground station. 

Afterwards

I have booked a couple of tables for drinks at the Retro bar from 16.00.

New Members

New members are very welcome. Please message me if you have any questions or concerns before the day. 

All Images were taken by Neil Prior.