former Metropolitan Life Building, Ottawa

The former Metropolitan Life Building, now known as the Wellington Building, features a series of mosaics on the ceiling of the foyer. The mosaics show subjects relting to insurance cover, including fire and health, as well as mythological scenes.

The building was constructed between 1924-27 and design by D Everett Wald.

former Council Chamber, Marion

The former Council Chambers for the City of Marion in Adelaide offers this fine Art Deco facade on Sturt Road.

The date above the door reads '1937' and this building shows that even such a modest structure can still promote modernity and civic pride.

The former Council Chambers have been recognised as a place of local heritage value by the City of Marion.

Maison Cormier, Montreal

Architect Ernest Cormier built this house as his private residence in 1930. From street level you can only see the entrance and reception room, the remainder of the house steps down the steep slope of the site.

In more recent times, the house was the residence of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, following his retirement from politics.

Art Deco Montreal chose to use the muse above the entrance as the symbol of the May 2009 10th World Congress on Art Deco.

Rayners Lane Tube Station, London

Rayners Lane is another of the London Underground's Charles Holden designed stations.

Rayners Lane Tube Station dates from 1936.

Arnos Grove Tube Station, London

Yesterday I wrote about Southgate Tube Station being upgraded from Grade II heritage listing to Grade II* joining neighbouring station Arnos Vale as the only two tube stations with that level of listing. So I thought it was only appropriate that today I write about Arnos Grove.

Like Southgate, Arnos Grove station was designed by the London Underground's master architect of the interwar period, Charles Holden.

Arnos Grove was built in 1932, a year before Southgate, and they bear some resemblance to each other with the circular nature of the structure.

And while I liked the lighting at Southgate, it was this bench on the platform at Arnos Grove which attracted my camera lens.

Southgate Tube Station, London

Another of Charles Holden's wonderful 1930s stations on the London Underground has received Grade II* heritage listing.

With this upgraded listing, Southgate station joins nearby Arnos Grove as the only two tube stations with this level of protection according to Sarah Cosgrove's report in the Enfield Independent newspaper.

Built in the early 1930s the main station building is topped with a tower of discs incoporating lighting and sphere shaped finial.

The circular station sits on island acting as a transport hub with the numerous bus stops surrounding it. On one side there is semi-circular sweep of shops dating from the same time.

Inside the station, the lights, particularily two freestanding lamps at the bottom of the escalators, are beautiful works of art.

Hotel Torino, Massawa

Is the Hotel Torino in Massawa an Art Deco building?

I've seen in Eritrea by Edward Denison & Edward Paice that it was constructed in the late 1930s so from that point of view it sits firmly in the interwar period when, as the name suggests, the Italians occupied the area.

The shape of the windows, however, look back to an earlier time perhaps when the town was part of the Ottoman Empire. Yet to my eye the decoration has been simplified and stripped back to its basic form.

The curved facade, sitting on a prominent corner site, is a common streamline feature and with conventional windows I think the building could easily fall into that category of architecture.

What do others think?