The Currys Factory & Head Office is one of the classic inter-war industrial buildings on Brentford’s Golden Mile. Built in 1935–1936 for Currys Ltd — the British electrical goods retailer that had expanded rapidly in the early 20th century — the building originally served as both a distribution centre and administrative headquarters for the company.
Designed in a streamlined Moderne / early Modernist style by architect F.E. Simpkins, the structure is distinguished by its reinforced concrete frame, strong horizontal window bands, and a central staircase tower that gives visual emphasis to the symmetrical façade. Its stylistic language reflects the confidence of industrial design in the 1930s, with elegant curves and clean lines that make it one of the more refined examples of the period’s commercial architecture along the Golden Mile.
Only a few years after opening, Currys were displaced by wartime exigencies under the Defence of the Realm Act, and the building’s original use ceased. The structure survived the many changes along the Great West Road and was later recognised for its architectural significance; it is now Grade II-listed for its historic and design value.
In the late 1990s the building was restored and adapted by Foster and Partners — with sensitive preservation of its period frontage — to become the UK base for outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux, who occupy the site today. The conversion retained the building’s distinctive Art Deco-influenced character while bringing it into contemporary commercial use, making it a rare survivor of the era’s industrial heritage on this historic London corridor.