Palace of Industry, Brent
Description: Palace of Industry
Grade: DL
Date Listed: 20 November 1997
Date Delisted: 23 January 2004
English Heritage Building ID: 468963
OS Grid Reference: TQ1923985929
OS Grid Coordinates: 519239, 185929
Latitude/Longitude: 51.5596, -0.2813
Location: Engineers Way, Brent, Greater London HA9 0XA
Locality: Brent
Local Authority: Brent Borough Council
County: Greater London
Country: England
Postcode: HA9 0XA
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Listing Text
The following building was de-listed on 23-JAN-2004
TQ 18 NEENGINEERS WAY
(north side)
935/1/10032Palace of Industry
GVII
Warehouses and showrooms, formerly The Palace of Industry exhibition hall at the British Empire Exhibition. 1923-4 by Sir Owen Williams (architect) and Maxwell Ayrton (engineer). MATERIALS: pre-cast reinforced concrete, partly channelled to appear as stone and partly painted; internal prototype concrete portal truss framing. Steel truss multi-pitched roof, partly glazed. STYLE: Classical. PLAN: rectangular, regular on 2 sides. Double height. EXTERIOR: principal facade to Engineer's Way has projecting central pavilion with channelled concrete outer bays, each having twin fittings for flagpoles, flanking distyle in antis pilasters supporting a simplified entablature and shallow pediment. Flanking bays articulated by entablature and shallow pediment. Flanking bays articulated by pilasters flanking piers with inset panels and supporting a balcony with cast-iron balustrade to stepped back first floor with corresponding piers and 3-light recessed windows. Parapet with attached flagpoles having lion's head corbels at each bay. Projecting end pavilions of channelled concrete with blind windows of inset panels and wide pilasters supporting simplified entablature and shallow pediment; lion's head corbels for flagpoles. Other elevations in similar style. INTERIOR: partly subdivided but with original concrete arched roof known as a portal truss. The Palace of Industry is the only surviving "temporary" building in England from any major exhibition of the C19 and C20. It was the first major public building in Britain where concrete was used for the exterior as well as for internal support and is a very early example internationally of the portal truss.
Listing NGR: TQ1923985929
Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.