Purcell launches Art Deco Map within the East

As part of our continued cultural presence in the East of England, Purcell are supporting the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts’ (SCVA) exhibition, Art Deco by the Sea.

The exhibition focuses on how after the First World War, during a new age of mass tourism, Art Deco transformed our seaside towns. This prominent and eyecatching style is still woven throughout the towns’ architecture and design today.

In support of the exhibition, our team have designed an ‘Art Deco Along the East Coast’ map. This explores Art Deco buildings across the East of England’s coastline and features some of the most prominent buildings within the region.

Since Purcell began in East Anglia over 70 years ago, we have worked across diverse heritage buildings throughout the region and have expert knowledge on 20th-century buildings. Our collaboration with the Sainsbury Centre has been an exciting opportunity to explore this captivating style in the built environment’s history.

With the pandemic limiting our ability to explore the exhibition in person, the Sainsbury Centre’s digital and event programme is blossoming. With the centre's recent reopening, you can also now see the exhibition up until 20 September 2020, and you can access our digital map on their website.

The map is designed to fit easily on your phone so that you can access it while exploring the sites. It begins with the definition of Art Deco and how it has emerged within the region.

You will find details of how to ‘spot’ Art Deco and develop an excellent sense of the Art Deco buildings around us today in addition to buildings from our past, and those which are currently being restored.

In collaboration with the Sainsbury Centre, we’re also holding a competition where you can submit photos of any Art Deco you find in the region, details are within the map.

Explore the area and discover the prominence of Art Deco around us while also gaining an understanding of the shift of culture throughout the 1920s and 1930s and how that manifested in this style within the built environment.