Celebrating a unique architectural style

The Art Deco design and architectural movement originated in France and spread internationally in the 20s, 30s and 40s, giving us some of the most stunning buildings in the world. The style combines traditional motifs with mechanical age imagery, and many Art Deco buildings feature bold and graphic geometric shapes, detailed decorations and striking colours. Miami Beach in the US is home to one of the largest districts of Art Deco buildings in the world, with South Beach featuring approximately 960 Art Deco properties. Their distinctive Deco designs and pastel colours mean they can be easily spotted by any visitor. The colours were specially chosen to reflect the original hues that would have been used when the buildings were first constructed, creating an air of historic authenticity.New York is renowned as the home of some highly celebrated architecture in the style. Possibly the most famous is the Empire State Building, which was built in 1931 and had the honour of being the tallest building in the world for 40 years. Other great examples include the Chrysler Building, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the Rockefeller Centre.London also has its own broad collection of Art Deco style buildings. The Hoover Building, Broadcasting House and Victoria Theatre are beautiful examples. Battersea Power Station is probably the most celebrated and still holds the record as being the largest brick building in Europe.The city of Napier in New Zealand is a unique example of surviving architecture from the period. In 1931 a huge earthquake struck the region and destroyed the majority of the Victorian and Edwardian buildings. When the rebuilding began the Art Deco movement was in full swing so architects naturally gravitate towards that kind of design. The city is celebrated for these buildings and hosts an annual festival to celebrate them. There are around 140 still standing. The Art Deco style may not be for everybody but the buildings are among some of the most visually stimulating and distinctive properties in the world.