Commissioned in 1979 and completed in 1986, Eduardo Paolozzi’s mosaics at Tottenham Court Road station are one of the most spectacular examples of post-war public art. Produced by our sister company Orsoni, over 950m2 of hand cut glass mosaics link interconnecting spaces and feature prominently on the Northern line and Central line platforms. The mosaics reflect the artist’s interpretation of the local area and his wider interest in mechanisation – cogs, pistons and wheels whirr through the station. Cameras, saxophones and electronics reference the music and technical shops of Soho. Egyptian images were inspired by the nearby British Museum, and butterflies are included as the artist’s recollection of long-disappeared Turkish baths.
The project has won two awards: “The Great Western Railways Craft Skills Award” in 2016 and “The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers Triennial Award” in the wall and floor tiling section in 2017.
