Daily Express Building
120 Fleet Street
London
EC4A 2BE
Visitor Information
Architect: Ellis & Clarke with Sir Owen Williams (interiors Robert Atkinson)
Restoration architect: John Robertson Architects
Built: 1930-32
Awards: Civic Trust commendation for restoration, 2002
Royal Fine Arts Commission Trust Building of the Year Award 2001
City Heritage Award 2001
BCO Award, Commendation Commercial Workplace Category 2002
If you’re a fan of Art Deco then this Grade II listed building is a must-see. The former home of the Daily Express newspaper (when Fleet Street was the hub of the UK’s print industry), it is covered with shining black Vitrolite and clear glass with chromium strips. The flamboyant interior remains an homage to classic 30s luxury – the lobby, designed by Robert Atkinson, includes plaster reliefs by Eric Aumonier, an oval staircase and an abundance of silver and gilt.
The building is said to be London's first experiment in curtain walling (a building façade that does not carry any dead load from the building other than its own) with its pioneering concrete structure virtually doubling the width of floor plans obtainable from the steel frame alternative. John Robertson Architects were appointed to carry out a full restoration of this building to its original design standard.
Unfortunately the building is not open to the public but the lobby is often open for the annual Open House weekend in September.