Earlier this year we attended a book launch event in Edinburgh at the headquarters of Historic Environment Scotland.

The book in question was Art Deco in Scotland, Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age written by Bruce Peter.

Laid out in the building’s rooms were various illustrations of Art Deco designs, models, architectural plans and magazine illustrations as well as a screened photomontage of reminders of Scotland’s Art Deco past, some of which are now sadly gone.

On Saturday last I finally got round to buying a copy of the book. (Who could resist a cover featuring the Tower of Empire from the Empire Exhibition 1938?)

Among many sumptuous photographs of cinemas, public, commercial and industrial buildings and fabric designs the book has a chapter dedicated to the Empire Exhibition.

I have not yet read the text but look forward to it.

I featured Hexham’s Art Deco cinema, The Forum, here.

When we visited the town again in Oct 2024 I spotted a couple more buildings with Art Deco styling.

The old bus station has an Art Deco pediment and lettering:-

The frontage has deco styling too:-

Then there was this shop with a slight Woolworth’s vibe but this may be later than deco:-

We had an overnight stop at Wakefield on the way back up from Bath so that we could go to The Hepworth Wakefield. It was built in commemoration of artist/sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born in the town. As well as many of her works it now houses the municipal art collection started in 1923.

The building stands by the River Calder and was designed by British architect David Chipperfield.

From over River Calder:-

From walkway over the river:-

Entrance and rear:-

I took a video of the weir from the main road bridge:-

Insch is a village in Aberdeenshire. We visited it during our trip north in August.

This shop with strong horizontals and verticals has a deco look. Its eyes have been poked out though.

This clock was on a building at the entrance to the dock where our ship was berthed. The tower in white and the flagpole are also deco features:-

While wandering Bergen city centre I was delighted to see this building looming. Lots of deco hallmarks; curvature, rule of three, horizontals, verticals:-

These closer views also show up the building’s balconies:-

This bridge nearby certainly has a deco feel, albeit in a Scandinavian way:-

The view from the MS Magellan’s bow in dock at St Petersburg. New building construction with bridge behind:

The view towards the city. Flats. We were told most Russians live in flats. All sorts of folks in similar flats in the same block. Only the insides would let you know how well off anyone is:-

Gazprom Tower:-

This breaks the height restriction on buidlngs in St Petersburg. They let it go because it was way out of town and, well, Gazprom. Closer view:-

Krestovsky Stadium, or Zenit Arena, home of Zenit St Petersburg FC. This was a venue for games at the 2018 Football World Cup. Modern bridge in front with cruise terminal building in foreground:-

This was the nearest thing I saw in St Petersburg to an Art Deco building:-

Peter the Great statue, photographed through coach windows so the statue is difficult to make out; a modern building behind.

Undoubtedly Art Deco, this is a restaurant called The Standard, on Havnegade, Copenhagen.

Definite deco lines plus rounded gables, not to mention the tower clock:-

Reverse view:-

Just by way of contrast. Elgiganten:-

Deco? There’s rule of three in the smaller windows certainly:-

As in the Netherlands there was a profusion of bikes. The photo also shows another picturesque lamp standard:-

This is clearly not a building from the 1920 or 1930s but it definitely has Deco style much like the MI5/MI6 building in London or the UCAS building in Cheltenham.

There is some modern architecture in Liverpool, especially the Museum of Liverpool, situated down towards the Mersey.

Museum (centre left) from Albert Dock:-

From plaza:-

Closer view:-

A very Chinese looking construction across a street entrance in Liverpool:-

A bit more traditional. Decorative tiles on a city centre building:-