Period
1920s and 30s
Description
Art Deco was a modernist reaction to the free-flowing naturalism of Art Nouveau. It came to symbolise the Jazz Age with its luxurious use of modern materials and bright colours combined with industrialised mass production. It was influenced by contemporary art styles such as Cubism and also by discoveries in the Tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt in 1922. Some of the first deco architecture came from the Bauhaus School in Germany. The architect Le Corbusier is credited with naming the style after seeing L’Exposition Internationale Des Arts Décoratifs Et Industriels held in Paris in 1925.
Features
Striking, stylised exterior motifs
Strong geometric windows and coloured glass
Contrasting shapes and colours
Examples
Debenhams, formerly Lefevres
K&C Hospital
Cherry Avenue, 1937