Wednesday, September 17, 2008

St Olaf House, London


St Olaf House, SE1

St Olaf House was designed by H S Goodhart-Rendel for the Hay's Wharf Company in 1928-32.

The Thames frontage (above) carries the name of the company in gold stylised lettering along the top.

St Olaf House, SE1

The central section of the riverside facade features 3 stylised figures and 36 smaller abstract panels, also coloured gold.

St Olaf House, SE1

At first glance the Tooley Street facade aapears nowhere near as decorative but on closer examination there are some lovely features starting with the stylised St Olaf House above the doorway almost at street-level.

St Olaf House, SE1

St Olave, himself, King of Norway, is represented on the curved corner of the building surrounded by thin rectangular windows arranged in sets of three.

St Olaf House, SE1

Then at the other end of the building, the windows are arranged, still in sets of three, but offset so that they step down.

St Olaf House, SE1

But my favourite is this doorway. Again St Olaf House is spelt out in stylised gold lettering. And the door is stunning with the wave motif protrayed in the metalwork.

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