Modernism Beyond Metro-Land

Modernism Beyond Metro-Land continues the work of Joshua Abbott’s first book, A Guide to Modernism in Metro-Land, in mapping and documenting the art deco, modernist and brutalist buildings of London’s suburbs. Taking in the eastern and southern boroughs, the guide will feature art deco cinemas, modernist tube stations, brutalist office blocks, stunning post war houses and much more.

It will include the work of renowned architects and designers such as Charles Holden, Richard Rogers, Wells Coates and Owen Luder, as well as more contemporary designers such as Peter Barber. The guide will cover 12 London boroughs from Waltham Forest in the north east to Kingston upon Thames in the south west as well as a portion of Surrey. Each section will feature a map, descriptions of each building and colour photographs. It will also feature extended sections on areas of interest like Croydon town centre, the Central Line stations of Charles Holden and the self built houses of Walter Segal.

As well as exploring the architectural history of the suburbs, the book will examine how this area has changed from the start of the 20th century, when much of it was part of the neighbouring counties, Essex, Kent and Surrey. The expansion of the capital's road, tube and rail network allowed people to commute to London from further away, creating new housing estates and kickstarting the growth of suburbia. New architectural styles from Europe and America like Art Deco and Modernism were imported to sit alongside more traditional building forms. Modernism Beyond Metro-Land will give centre stage to suburbia's most radical architecture of the last 100 years.