More than an architectural movement, Art Deco was a style that developed between the wars to reflect the optimistic mood of the times. A sleeker more cosmopolitan development of the florid Art Nouveau movement, Art Deco drew on timeworn traditions while celebrating modernity and mechanisation. It was called 'Style Moderne' until 1925, when the ‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes’ held in Paris inspired the name as we know it today.

While striking, Art Deco architecture was rarely overpowering so it quickly became a favourite for buildings associated with the modern age: car garages, cinemas, department stores and factories. With technological developments in glass production, buildings often featured continuous bands of glass in place of separate windows. Designs went beyond the outside of the building and became integral to glamorous interiors, appearing in hotels, restaurants and luxury apartments.

Not only did influence come from France but globally, especially Egypt after the high-profile opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. London’s ‘Carreras Cigarette Factory’ exemplifies this, with two large black cats flanking the entrance, a solar disc to the Sun-god Ra, and colourful painted details. Many architects turned to the new visual language of the Avant Garde for inspiration. Art movements like Cubism captivated designers seeking to capture the dynamism of their modernised world.

While designing for London Transport, Frank Pick and Charles Holden went on a tour of Scandinavia and the Netherlands in 1931, inspiring their work extending the Piccadilly line. Stations such as Osterley and Southgate were so influential that this distinctive style was applied to all stations built in the 1930s.

Art Deco's widespread usage and enduring influence reveal how its appeal goes further than simple visual allure. Its strength comes from its commitment to embrace the duality of tradition and modernity, blending luxury and function in a striking way.