Hoover Building
| Hoover Building | |
|---|---|
 The Hoover Building | |
  Location within Greater London | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Perivale |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°32′01″N 0°19′08″W / 51.533611°N 0.318889°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Wallis, Gilbert and Partners |
The Hoover Building on Western Avenue (A40) in Perivale, west London, is an example of Art Deco architecture designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners (1932-38).
History
It was built for The Hoover Company in 1933, and was designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners.[1]
In 1938 Building No 7 was added, as the factory canteen.[2]
John Betjeman described it as, "a sort of Art Deco Wentworth Woodhouse - with whizzing window curves derived from Erich Mendelsohn's work in Germany, and splashes of primary colour from the Aztec and Mayan fashions at the 1925 Paris Exhibition."[3]
Second World War
During the Second World War the Hoover Factory manufactured aircraft parts. Cleaners were still being produced, but output was much lower than previously. The buildings were camouflaged to avoid being bombed by German aircraft. The building's staff set up their own Home Guard unit.[4]
Hoover's UK expansion
After the Second World War an additional five-storey building (No.8) was built and stood to the north of the site alongside building No.5. Hoover continued manufacturing upright cleaners at the Hoover Building until the early 1980s when production was moved to the Cambuslang facility. The office remained open at the site for a few more years until it too was eventually closed and Hoover left the site. The building remained empty for many years, slowly falling into disrepair.
In 1980 the original building[5] and in 1981 the canteen block[6] were granted a Grade II* listing.
Tesco
In 1989 the supermarket chain Tesco purchased the Hoover Building and sixteen of the seventeen houses that backed onto the Hoover site.[7] Plans were then set in motion to build a Tesco Supermarket at the rear of the site and restore the original building and canteen, and convert them into offices. Work on the site started in 1991 and included the demolition of Building Nos. 5 and 8. Construction of the new supermarket started in January 1992 and was completed in November 1992.
In Popular Culture
In 1980 Elvis Costello recorded a song called Hoover Factory. It includes a brief description of the building and its position in London.
See also
References
- ↑ Lisa Mullen (6 November 2007). "Seven wonders of London: Hoover Building". Time Out. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ↑ http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/The+Hoover+Factory/
- ↑ John Betjeman, English Architecture, Penguin 1974 p.98
- ↑ "The Hoover Building". Historic buildings. Ealing Council. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ↑ Historic England. "Main Front Block to Hoover Factory (201068)". Images of England.
- ↑ Historic England. "Canteen Block to Hoover Factory (201088)". Images of England.
- ↑ http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/The+Hoover+Factory/
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hoover Building. |
Coordinates: 51°32′1″N 0°19′8″W / 51.53361°N 0.31889°W
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