London Scenes - 06-08-2022 (105)A
Carreras Cigarette Factory, Hampstead Rd, London
(Also known as Greater London House)
The building was constructed between the years 1926-28 and is built in the Art Deco style (notably early 20th Century Egyptian Revival). The Carreras Cigarette Co was owned by Bernhard Baron, an inventor and philanthropist to a design by architects M. E. & O. H Collins and A. G. Porri of Camden Arcadia Works. The design was thought to have been influenced by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon’s 1922 expedition and discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The architects also took ideas from exhibits at the British Museum.
It must have been a fantastic spectacle on that opening day. The pavements close to the building were covered with sand and the cast of the Opera ‘Aida’ paraded by in Egyptian costume and performed around an Egyptian themed set. There was also a chariot race held in the Hampstead Road.
As a building it is mainly white and is 550 feet long (168 metres). It is highly decorated with 12 columns of white with red and blue capitols. There is a very imposing front door with two large cats on top of either side of the main staircase. There are also quite a few cat motifs adorning the front of the building.
During the 1960’s the factory was converted to offices and many of these Egyptian items were lost. The building was again renovated in the late 1990’s when replicas of the cats were restored to their rightful place. The original cats were moved in 1959-60 when the Carreras Co merged with Rothmans. One cat went to a new factory in Basildon, Essex and the other to Spanish Town, Jamaica.
In 1996 the building was purchased by Resolution GLH and commissioned architects Finch Forman to restore the building. After much consultation to original drawing they were able to conceive a plan to restore at least 80—90% of the Art Deco feature, that included the construction of those famous cats in replica.
London Scenes - 06-08-2022 (105)A
Carreras Cigarette Factory, Hampstead Rd, London
(Also known as Greater London House)
The building was constructed between the years 1926-28 and is built in the Art Deco style (notably early 20th Century Egyptian Revival). The Carreras Cigarette Co was owned by Bernhard Baron, an inventor and philanthropist to a design by architects M. E. & O. H Collins and A. G. Porri of Camden Arcadia Works. The design was thought to have been influenced by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon’s 1922 expedition and discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The architects also took ideas from exhibits at the British Museum.
It must have been a fantastic spectacle on that opening day. The pavements close to the building were covered with sand and the cast of the Opera ‘Aida’ paraded by in Egyptian costume and performed around an Egyptian themed set. There was also a chariot race held in the Hampstead Road.
As a building it is mainly white and is 550 feet long (168 metres). It is highly decorated with 12 columns of white with red and blue capitols. There is a very imposing front door with two large cats on top of either side of the main staircase. There are also quite a few cat motifs adorning the front of the building.
During the 1960’s the factory was converted to offices and many of these Egyptian items were lost. The building was again renovated in the late 1990’s when replicas of the cats were restored to their rightful place. The original cats were moved in 1959-60 when the Carreras Co merged with Rothmans. One cat went to a new factory in Basildon, Essex and the other to Spanish Town, Jamaica.
In 1996 the building was purchased by Resolution GLH and commissioned architects Finch Forman to restore the building. After much consultation to original drawing they were able to conceive a plan to restore at least 80—90% of the Art Deco feature, that included the construction of those famous cats in replica.