[Heratige] Art Deco in transportation.

Run_to_da_hills

This subject was touched on in a recent thread on the corporate vandalism of a Carlilse Pier railway station however I decided to start fresh on the subject as much the same damage is happening to this fine art not just in Ireland but in other countries.

The Art Deco period of the late 20's to 40's is my favourite when it comes to design, particularly in archicture of terminal buildings, railway stations, station furniture, marine designs, transport promotional posters etc.



Unfortunately there was not too much of it in Ireland partly due to the economic state of the country at the time however there are still some fine examples including the old terminal building at Dublin Airport.

In the UK there are quite a number of Art Deco tube stations on the Picadily and Northern line designed by Charles Holden

In the US new streamlined Greyhound bus terminals were designed in the 30's to promote bus travel.

I see Cunard have decided to use Art Deco as a centrepiece theme on their new QE2 liner, a giant mural taking up two decks designed by Linley

As someone mentioned, "if it has tracks running through it, it is exempt from preservation", this seems quite true and not just in Ireland.

In Poland there is a currently a campaign to save some of Warsaw pre war suburban stations from “modernised” (An all too familiar story} :mad:

Someone already mentioned about Derby Bus station which was leveled in 2006 despite widespread protests.

When I was in Seattle in the early 90ies there was much hype about the MV Kalakala, a futuristic car ferry designed in the 30ies that was used up until the mid 60ies, after that it ended up in Alaska as a fish processing plant and then abandoned. It was towed back to Seattle in the late 90ies and due to lack of funding it is currently in a sorry state tied up in Tacoma. In its former glory. Now, sorry state awaiting its faith..

Cookie_Monster

bluegh

Give me proper, massive stone work buildings:



or huge steelwork genius engeneering monstosities:



Structures, buildings and vehicles should show their engineering prowess first and beauty second. Stone building should be huge imposing blocky structures, steel bridges should show thier skeleton and so forth

steamengine

Don't know if this LMS loco 'Duchess of Hamilton' is art deco - close enough methinks !!!

Judgement Day

Sadly given that railways here were generally on the uppers during the Art Deco period there was little money for new architecture and that's why the interior of Amiens Street/Connolly was such a rare gem that should/could have been incorporated into a new design. Like so much else of Irish railway heritage CIE prefer the wrecking ball to preservation.

Run_to_da_hills

Judgement Day wrote: »

Sadly given that railways here were generally on the uppers during the Art Deco period there was little money for new architecture and that's why the interior of Amiens Street/Connolly was such a rare gem that should/could have been incorporated into a new design. Like so much else of Irish railway heritage CIE prefer the wrecking ball to preservation.

Maybe they might make up for it and incorporate it into the new Metro system.

Cookie_Monster

steamengine wrote: »

Don't know if this LMS loco 'Duchess of Hamilton' is art deco - close enough methinks !!!

I'd say the stripes contribute to that more than anything else.
What she really looks like

Apparently the Forth Bridge is classed as having art deco elements in its design !!!

How, it predates it by 35 years...

Stroke Politics

http://www.dublin.ie/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=25599&stc=1&d=1259793247

Archer's garage, Off Pearse Street was an art-deco structure, demolished in 1999, and then rebuilt!

Run_to_da_hills

Stroke Politics wrote: »

http://www.dublin.ie/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=25599&stc=1&d=1259793247

Archer's garage, Off Pearse Street was an art-deco structure, demolished in 1999, and then rebuilt!

its only a counterfeit of the original. :mad:.

I just hope An Bord Pleanála enforce the same strict example on Dun Laoghaire Harbour board over Carlilse pier as they did on this.

Judgement Day

Surely the ultimate award in British Art Deco railway design would have to go to Bulleid's West Country Pacific 4-6-2 locomotives? Known by many as 'spam cans' due to their unusual appearance they came into service from 1945 onwards - the tail end of the Art Deco period. Up to 20 have survived into preservation.

steamengine

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

How, it predates it by 35 years...

Sorry you are correct, I misread an article on art deco bridges - its the Golden Gate Bridge that is supposed to have art deco elements in its design, not the Forth bridge - Post amended !!!

Run_to_da_hills

steamengine wrote: »

Sorry you are correct, I misread an article on art deco bridges - its the Golden Gate Bridge that is supposed to have art deco elements in its design, not the Forth bridge - Post amended !!!

Posters were cool.

Cookie_Monster

Judgement Day wrote: »

Surely the ultimate award in British Art Deco railway design would have to go to Bulleid's West Country Pacific 4-6-2 locomotives?

or the Battle of Britian class?

steamengine

Judgement Day wrote: »

Surely the ultimate award in British Art Deco railway design would have to go to Bulleid's West Country Pacific 4-6-2 locomotives? Known by many as 'spam cans' due to their unusual appearance they came into service from 1945 onwards - the tail end of the Art Deco period. Up to 20 have survived into preservation.

We can not proceed without mentioning 'Mallard', Gresley must be right up there with Bulleid !!!

Cookie_Monster

steamengine wrote: »

Is that an example of a 'single cylinder locomotive' you've just flashed up there? :D:D

nope it has 3

Cookie_Monster

What about this monstrosity?

Run_to_da_hills

steamengine wrote: »

We can not proceed without mentioning 'Mallard'

Looks good from the front.



"Dart" logo back in the 30's

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

What about this monstrosity?

About 15 years too late. looks like something straight out of Joe 90.



I don't think they had any problems loosing coupling doors.

Typewriter

Busaras was designed in the International Modern style. (What Art Deco was called at the time)

Run_to_da_hills

green_jesus wrote: »

Busaras was designed in the International Modern style. (What Art Deco was called at the time)

Same architect Michael Scott designed Doneybrook bus depot, though not as radical.

Cookie_Monster

green_jesus wrote: »

Busaras was designed in the International Modern style. (What Art Deco was called at the time)

This is in a list of 100 top building designs in the world.

bg07

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Same architect Michael Scott designed Doneybrook bus depot, though not as radical.

Not much to look at Architectuarly which is understandable considering it is just a shed that would have been pretty much in the country side when it was built. But it was considered a feat of engineering at the time because there are so few support beams within the building to hold up the concrete roof. Ove Arup himself was involved in the design (the man who engineering the Sydney opera house and set up the famous engineering company named after himself).

Judgement Day

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

This is in a list of 100 top building designs in the world.

Busaras should get an award for the triumph of style over functionality. How there haven't been any serious accidents to staff or passengers there is beyond me. An ill thought out kip and I want to be first in line with the wrecking ball when its day is done.

Stonewolf

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

This is in a list of 100 top building designs in the world.

Why? It's a desperately ugly auld slab of a thing. Like much "architecture" of the time in Dublin it should be demolished.

And while they're at it they can make the busses go around it the right way.

Run_to_da_hills

Judgement Day wrote: »

Busaras should get an award for the triumph of style over functionality. How there haven't been any serious accidents to staff or passengers there is beyond me. An ill thought out kip and I want to be first in line with the wrecking ball when its day is done.

Didn't a woman get locked inside the luggage hold a number of years ago, did that originate at Bus Arus?

SeanW

Agree 100% with the above 2 posts.

Cookie_Monster

Stonewolf wrote: »

Why? It's a desperately ugly auld slab of a thing. Like much "architecture" of the time in Dublin it should be demolished.

Something to do with paving the way, first of its style kind or some other rubbish, this I'd imagine:

Wikipedia wrote:

One of the first modern buildings in Dublin that attempted to integrate art and architecture, utilising elements like glass facades and a pavilionised top storey, the building won the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI) Triennial Gold medal in 1955.

The building is praised for use of materials and paint effects that enhanced texture and brass, bronze, copper, mosaics, and exotic timbers often featured in Michael Scott’s work.

I hate it too, it's horrible.

schemingbohemia

There was a great series on BBC Four last year called Art Deco Icons which included an episode on London Transports HQ at St James, some stunning Art Deco effects in the building.

Unfortunately it's not available to view at the moment and they haven't scheduled further showings but here's the details
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00npm4g
In that episode they also went behind the scenes at the London Transport Museum that has loads of beautiful Art Deco signs, ticket booths etc
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/

And the last episode was on the amazing Orient Express
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ntrs5

Run_to_da_hills

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Something to do with paving the way, first of its style kind or some other rubbish, this I'd imagine:


I hate it too, it's horrible.

Hawhins House must have got its inspiration from this building. .

steamengine

Art Deco railway station - Surbiton - looks cool !!!