In the recent past, Tottenham Court Road has been a synonym for the furniture trade although these days the road is more often to be associated with electronic goods.

Tottenham Court Road was mostly constructed between 1771 and 1800, a time when London was undergoing rapid regeneration. With the onset of heavier traffic, it steadily lost its charm and had a reputation as rather a shabby street. This didn't seem to bother anyone until the turn of the 20th century when the unusually-wide street started to take a pride in its appearance, with this came the addition of tabernacles, hotels, conference rooms and meeting places.

Tottenham Court Road tube station is widely acknowledged to be one of the more interesting in terms of decoration. Many a weary traveller passing through the station has got off the train before their own stop just to admire the mosaicked tunnels an example of the craftsmanship of Eduardo Paolozzi. There are over 10,000 square feet of mosaic consisting of millions of tesserae which were lain in the early 80s. Paolozzi's aim was to make the mosaics representative of city life; to this end they depict scenes from the bustle above ground as well as homage to institutions like the British Museum.

Close Window