The Greater London House is a Historic art deco building in Mornington Crescent, Camden Town, London, England. Designed by M. E. Collins, O. H. Collins, and A. G. Porri, it stands out in its appearance and history. The building is noted for its striking Egyptian Revival architecture, including a colonnade of large papyriform columns, a main entrance designed in the style of a tent, and the prominent use of the black cat motif – a branding device used by Carreras on their Craven A cigarette packets.
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In 1960-1962, the building was converted into offices and renamed Greater London House, with much of the original Egyptian decoration removed. However, in the late 1990s, the building was purchased by Resolution GLH, which commissioned a restoration to recreate 80-90% of the original Art Deco features, including reinstalling replicas of the famous black cat statues. Today, Greater London House houses offices for companies such as ASOS.com, the British Heart Foundation, Wunderman Thompson, and Revlon. The building has also been featured in the BBC comedy series W1A.
The current owner of Greater London House is Lazari Investments, a real estate investment firm, after they acquired the freehold interest in the building from the previous owner, Land Securities, in a £165 million transaction.
Accessibility of Greater London House
The building is directly opposite the Mornington Crescent tube station entrance on the Northern Line (Charing Cross branch). This provides easy access to the London Underground network.
The London public transportation system, including the Tube, buses, and other modes, has significantly improved accessibility for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. Key accessibility features include:
- Around a third of Tube stations, half of Overground stations, and all DLR stations have step-free access
- All London buses are low-floor and wheelchair accessible
- Availability of boarding ramps, lifts, and other assistive features at stations and on vehicles
- Journey planning tools that account for accessibility needs
- Assistance services like Dial-a-Ride and Taxicard for those unable to use public transit
Architecture of The Greater London House
In the 1920s, the Carreras tobacco company commissioned a new factory in Camden. However, this was to be no ordinary industrial building. Inspired by the recent discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the architects embraced the Egyptian Revival style, creating a structure that would become a landmark in London.
Greater London House is an iconic example of Art Deco Egyptian Revival architecture in London. Initially constructed in 1926-1928 as the Carreras Cigarette Factory, the building features a striking Egyptian style with:
- A colonnade of large papyriform (palm-like) columns
- A main entrance designed in the style of a tent
- Prominent use of the black cat motif, which was a branding device used by Carreras on their Craven A cigarette packets
- The building’s Egyptian Revival elements are combined with the sleek, linear, geometric forms characteristic of Art Deco architecture from the 1920s and 30s.
In the late 1990s, Greater London House underwent extensive restoration to recreate 80-90% of the original Art Deco features after removing much of the Egyptian decoration during a 1960s conversion to offices. Today, the restored, polished plaster entrance and silhouette of the famous black cat statues flank the building’s entrance, showcasing its distinctive Egyptian Revival Art Deco style.
Egyptian Revival Architecture
The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 significantly influenced the design of Greater London House, the former Carreras Cigarette Factory in London. Constructed just a few years later in 1926-1928, Greater London House is a striking example of the city’s early 20th-century Egyptian Revival architecture. The building’s distinctive Egyptian-style ornamentation was directly inspired by the “Egyptomania” that swept through architecture, design, and popular culture following the unearthing of King Tut’s tomb.
This included features like two gigantic effigies of black cats flanking the entrance and colourful painted details. The papyriform columns, tent-like entrance, and prominent use of the black cat motif were all characteristic of this Egyptian-inspired design aesthetic. Unfortunately, when the factory was converted into offices in 1961, much of the original Egyptian detailing was lost. However, in the late 1990s, a restoration effort was undertaken to recreate 80-90% of Greater London House’s distinctive Art Deco Egyptian Revival style, including reinstalling replicas of the famous black cat statues. This has helped preserve this iconic building as a prime example of how the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb directly influenced early 20th-century British architecture.
The Black Cat Sculpture
The black cat sculptures at Greater London House have historical significance as symbols of the building’s past as the Carreras Cigarette Factory:
- The Carreras Tobacco Company adopted a black cat as its logo, keeping this nod to its humble roots even after constructing its grand Egyptian revival-style factory in the 1920s
- Two regal black cat effigies, meant to symbolize the Egyptian goddess Bastet, originally guarded the factory’s entrance
- The cat heads were repeated across the facade, with two eight-foot-high seated cats inspired by the feline goddess Bastet flanking the entrance.
- The black cat was the logo for Carreras’ famous “Black Cat” brand of cigarettes, produced at this factory.
The iconic black cat sculptures were removed when the building was converted to offices in the 1960s. However, in the late 1990s, replicas of the original cat statues were reinstalled as part of a restoration to recreate 80-90% of the building’s distinctive Egyptian Revival Art Deco style.
So the black cats are an enduring symbol of Greater London House’s history as the former Carreras Cigarette Factory, with its eye-catching Egyptian-inspired architecture and branding. Their restoration helps preserve this unique part of the building’s past.
Final Thoughts
Greater London House is more than just a building; it’s a piece of London’s history, an architectural artwork, and a reminder of its eclectic character. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an architecture buff, or simply someone who appreciates the unusual, this iconic structure is worth visiting. It is a testament to London’s ability to preserve its past while evolving, making it a true gem in the city’s architectural crown.