Photography by Andy Webb, Visionova Inc.
What's New| About | Prints | Browse | Search
Don't forget to look up at Paddington station. The clock and wrought iron design are a stunning example of Art Decco design.
Paddington is perhaps my favorite station. If you are there as a passenger, it's easy to simply be consumed with getting to your train on time and miss the deco-design of the space. This station opened in 1838. In 1850, the Great Western Railway (GWR) agreed to meet the increasing demands for rail with the design and construction of a more permanent station by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was influenced by the Crystal Palace/Great Exhibition of 1851. as evidenced in the use of wrought iron and glass in the multi-span roof at Paddington. Further enhancements occurred in 1913 and 1916 and increased the number of platforms. A new ‘art deco’ office block was added in the 1930's. Finally, in the 1990s several refurbishments were made at Paddington Station. Be sure to look up and take in the Victorian style iron.
