Architecture on the Thames Waterfront

Have you always found yourself attracted to the iconic design style of the 1920s and 1930s? If so, my new walk, Art Deco in the Strand, might just be right walking tour for you.

Featuring many grand and glamourous buildings, the Art Deco heritage of the Strand is very opulent and includes the luxurious Savoy Hotel, the severe New Adelphi office block as well as the gigantic 'mantelpiece'-style clock topping Shell Mex House. From stark geometry to lavish ornamentation, this walk will highlight many of the decorative elements associated with this design style, making this tour a must for all fans of the Art Deco movement.

While walking along vistas once sketched by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet, we are also going to learn more about the construction of Waterloo Bridge, the Embankment and the (now mostly demolished) Adelphi Buildings. From little alleyways to busy thoroughfares, our route will also include encounters with a royal peculiar, a mysterious Egyptian obelisk as well as a sculpture often described as London's most erotic statue. As you can note, quite the programme!

Reviews

For a little taster of the tour, check out a preview of the walk on 'Emm in London':

http://www.emminlondon.com/2015/06/an-art-deco-tour-of-strand.html

‘[…] Yannick’s ‘Art Deco in the Strand’ walking tour is excellent and highly recommended. I worked in this area for three years and I was astonished by the amount of information I learned on the tour. As with all Yannick’s tours, the tour is really well researched and you get to learn not only about Art Deco but also about the history of the buildings before they took their present form.’ – @mandyist

Walk Details

This tour is aimed at seasoned Londoners and tourists who are looking to explore the Strand from an architectural perspective. A ideal gift for history buffs as well as fans of all things ‘Art Deco’, this walk can also be booked as a private tour for birthdays, weddings or any other special occasions.

The meeting point for the tour is by the statue of King George III in the courtyard of Somerset House (see the map below). Please note that if it is raining heavily on the day, we will be meeting under the arches near the Courtauld Gallery. Lasting about two hours, the tour will finish near Hungerford Bridge which is a short 5 minute walk away from Embankment Tube Station and Charing Cross Tube Station.

Contact Me

If you have any more questions about the walk or would like to organise a private tour, do not hesitate to get in touch with me either via EventBrite or send me an email directly to: yannick.pucci[at]gmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter where I’m always up for a chat too.