The Firestone Tyre Factory was an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

building on the Great West Road in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

in the

London Borough of Hounslow The London Borough of Hounslow ( ) is a London borough in west London, England, forming part of Outer London. It is governed by Hounslow London Borough Council. The borough stretches from near Central London in the east (Chiswick) to the b ...

. It was designed by

Wallis, Gilbert and Partners Wallis, Gilbert and Partners was a British architectural partnership responsible for the design of many Art Deco buildings in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s. The partnership was established by Thomas Wallis (architect), Thomas Wallis in 1916. Wall ...

for the

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey S. Firestone (18681938) in 1900 initially to supply solid rubber side-wire tires for fire apparatus, and later, pneumatic tires for wagons, carriages, and other form ...

. Built on a 26acre site, it opened in October 1928 and was the second factory to open on the Great West Road, following Hudson-Essex Motors of Great Britain Limited which opened in 1927.

Demolition and controversy

The company announced in November 1979 that it would close the factory. After its purchase by Trafalgar House, the building was demolished during the August 1980 bank holiday weekend, reportedly in anticipation of its becoming listed. The

Twentieth Century Society The Twentieth Century Society (abbreviated to C20), founded in 1979 as The Thirties Society, is a British charity that campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards. It is formally recognised as one of the National ...

call the structure their "first serious case" and say that its destruction "focused public attention on the necessity for greater protection for 20th century buildings and led directly to the listing of 150 examples of interwar architecture (including

Battersea Power Station Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames in Nine Elms, Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It was built by the London Power Company (LPC) to the design of ...

) by the government". The gates, piers and railings fencing the site received a Grade II listing in 2001.

References

External links

Globalnet.co.uk: Firestone Factory

Britainfromabove.org: Firestone tyre factory

Brentford and Chiswicklhs.org: Firestone Factory

Disused-stations.org: Brentford
{{Bridgestone Corporation Manufacturing plants in England Brentford, London Bridgestone Demolished buildings and structures in London Demolished manufacturing buildings and structures History of the London Borough of Hounslow History of Middlesex Buildings and structures completed in 1928 Buildings and structures demolished in 1980 1928 establishments in England 1980 disestablishments in England Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Hounslow Grade II listed industrial buildings Art Deco architecture in London

Demolition and controversy

See also

References

External links