A hundred years ago, architects all over the world upped anchor and sailed into an era of maritime fantasy. Seduced by the smooth lines, painted steel, portholes and ribbon windows of cruise ships, many built the finest houses of the 1920s and 1930s on beaches.
They gazed out to sea as if longing for the nautical glamour of the transatlantic liner, just as shipping companies were vying to create the most lavish interiors, the sleekest profiles, the classiest balls and the fastest crossings.
It was the era of seaside architecture, an evocation of sunshine and bracing fresh air — and it set the standard for coastal living. In the 2020s and around the world, there is a new appreciation of a style that still influences what is built on waterfronts.
Art Deco by the Sea, a new exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, explores that brief flourishing in Britain. But the UK was just a corner. From Miami to Havana, Puerto Rico to Biarritz, Cape Town to Los Angeles, local versions of Art Deco sprang up in the most desirable seaside neighbourhoods.
See The whole article on the FT here: httpshttps://www.ft.com/content/f99a2ecc-525f-11ea-a1ef-da1721a0541e
