Friday 3 June 2011

Hoovering




You can find out much more about these fabulous art deco buildings at the inimitable English Buildings blog, but I couldn't resist putting these pictures up. I'd been in central London, and was supposed to be joining the North Circular at the Hangar Lane 'Gyratory'. But I was so taken up with ranting and waving my arms about for the benefit of my long-suffering passenger that I found myself in the tunnel and out the other the side in a flash. I couldn't correct my error until the next junction on the A40 at Perivale, but this meant that on our return trip eastwards we passed this stunning pair. I'd always wanted to photograph them, but either it was raining or I was on the wrong carriageway. I do urge you to park up nearby if you're in the area and take a good look as we did, and I hope the sun and clouds are as complementary to the architecture. As Pevsner says, this was a factory designed to impress the new speeding motorists passing by in a few seconds, a blinding flash of hygenic white that perfectly endorsed the efficiency of the household cleaners once made within the early 1930's factory. The 1938 air terminal above was in fact the canteen, and round the back is now a Tesco, whose signs adorn the front lawn. Their presence here is remarkably and untypically low key. Every little helps.

5 comments:

Philip Wilkinson said...

Peter: Thanks so much for the mention of the English Buildings blog and the link. How well your photograph has captured the great sweep of this magnificent building and West London landmark (and how well you have made the clouds behave, as usual!).

The Vintage Knitter said...

This building always brightens up a journey into London for me.

Sue Imgrund said...

Splendid pic and thanks for the link, too. I wonder if one day we'll see 70s and 80s "fashionable" monstrosities in the same positive light?

Fred Fibonacci said...

Could not agree more Peter; a wonderful building that lifts the spirits.

Anonymous said...

I used to go past those on a bus twice a day on my way to work at Hallmark Cards. Happy days.