Sydney Art Deco Architecture
Art Deco is a style that was adopted in both the exterior and interior of buildings, light fittings, carpets, ceramics, clocks, furniture, machines, household appliances, cars, ocean liners, jewellery, ornaments and posters in the period between the two world wars.
Art deco is unashamedly flamboyant and reflects the larger than life mentality of the 1920s.
The term Art Deco evolved in the 1960s from a shortening of two words, ‘Arts Decoratifs’, as used in the title of a 1925 design exhibition held in France: “Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes”.
Some of the characteristics and features of Art Deco designs include: geometric shapes in the form of triangles, trapezoids, zigzags; chevron patterns; straight lines and sweeping curves, layered shapes and symmetry; vibrant colors; stepped forms and modern materials.
Art deco buildings may include elaborate panels and ornate carvings.
Sydney has rich vein of Art Deco architecture both in the city and surrounding suburbs. If you look for it you will find Art Deco commercial buildings, apartments, cinemas, hotels, shops and lift foyers.
We recently visited a few of our favourite Sydney Art Deco buildings.
The towers in the entrance to Luna Park (last photo) have classic Art Deco features including vertical and horizontal straight lines, trapezoids, vibrant colours and scalloping in the upper part of the tower.
If you would like to visit some of Sydney’s best art deco buildings let us know and we can design a half day tour or adjust another tour to include an hour or two visiting these buildings.
The Metro Theatre (formerly Minerva Theatre) has striking vertical and horizontal lines and gracious curves.
Black marble adorns the entrance to the CML Building. The business chamber inside, which is occupied by a restaurant, is exquisite.
The lobby of the Primus Hotel (formerly MWSDB Building) is grand, with amazing height, glass ceiling and scagliola clad columns.
Geometric shapes galore
the entrance to Sydney’s palace of fun (Luna Park)