03/04/2023
The Carreras Cigarette Factory (aka Black Cat Factory) built in 1928 with a design in thrall to the Egypt-mania that swept the globe following the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb six years earlier.
Apart from being the largest reinforced concrete factory in the country at the time, it boasted being the first to incorporate an air-conditioning and dust extraction system, presumably so workers could enjoy breathing in clean air before heading out for their employer-sanctioned cigarette breaks.
All the Egyptian Art Deco details were removed when it was converted into offices in the 1960s but all was restored to its former glory in the 90s. Today it makes amends for its past sins by housing the British Heart Foundation.