Building Fleet Street: The Golden Age of Newspapers
Newspapers are the flimsiest, most ephemeral of media; here today, gone tomorrow. By contrast, architecture is the most steadfast of all media. In the inter-war period, reading a daily newspaper was one of the defining customs of British life. In a bid to cement their influence in the fabric of the city, press agencies commissioned lavish headquarters. Architecture critic Edwin Heathcote considers how the grand Art Deco buildings of Fleet Street reflected the aspirations of the industry.
The printed newspaper form may be going out of fashion, but the buildings which housed them have stood the test of time.
Time Period:
20th century
Themes:
Edwin Heathcote is the Architecture and Design Critic of The Financial Times. He is a former architect and designer and the author of around a dozen books. He is the founder of Reading Design and the Keeper of Meaning at The Cosmic House. His most recent book is On the Street: In Between Architecture, HENI Books.
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