If organised art tours aren’t your thing, this self-guided walk allows you to take things at your own pace - and everywhere on it is free to visit. It’ll take around three hours to complete, including appreciation time!
Discover for yourself with this route the splendour of Art Nouveau architecture and design in central London, focusing on buildings and interiors influenced by the Art Nouveau movement (circa 1890–1910). The tour includes stops with notable facades, details, and interior options when available.
Art Nouveau Walking Tour — Central London (Approx. 3 hours)
• Start Point: Tottenham Court Road Station
• End Point: Piccadilly Circus or Green Park Station
• Distance: ~4.5 km (2.8 miles)
• Walking Time: ~1.5–2 hours + viewing time
🏁 Stop 1: TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD STATION & HEAL’S BUILDING
📍 196 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7LQ
⏱️ 15 mins
• Heal’s is a historic furniture store with roots in the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau eras.
• The building (1916) features wrought iron Art Nouveau-style stair railings known as the “spiral stair of light.”
• Explore the interiors — the design details evoke the transition from Art Nouveau to early Modernism.
📍 Fitzroy Square, W1T 6EU
⏱️ 10 mins walk / 10 mins visit
• Home of Charles Ricketts, a designer and illustrator associated with the Art Nouveau movement.
• The area reflects Georgian architecture, but this stop is more for historical context — Ricketts and Lucien Pissarro promoted decorative, organic forms in their work
🏢 Stop 3: THE IDEAL HOUSE (ART NOUVEAU/DECO FUSION)
📍 The Ideal House, now Palladium House, 1-4 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LD
⏱️ 15 mins walk / 10 mins visit
• A unique building with Art Deco and lingering Art Nouveau stylings.
• Note the curving windows, ornamental motifs, and color contrast — built in the 1920s, it shows the tail end of the movement blending with Deco.
🪟 Stop 4: LIBERTY LONDON
📍 Regent Street, W1B 5AH
⏱️ 5 mins walk / 20 mins browse
• Although the building (1924) is Tudor Revival, Liberty played a major role in bringing Art Nouveau (especially the “Stile Liberty” variant) to the UK.
• Explore the fabrics, interior woodwork, and design references inside — the store was a beacon of Art Nouveau style in furniture and fashion.
🌿 Stop 5: PICCADILLY ARCADE & THE ROYAL ARCADE
📍 Off Piccadilly & Old Bond Street
⏱️ 15 mins walk / 20 mins browsing
• The Royal Arcade (1879) and Piccadilly Arcade feature wrought-iron details and decorative flourishes that hint at early Art Nouveau.
• Browse artisan shops — some still echo the Art Nouveau aesthetic in jewelry and decor.
🕰️ Stop 6: THE RITZ HOTEL (Art Nouveau Interiors)
📍 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR
⏱️ 5 mins walk / Optional tea stop
• Opened in 1906, The Ritz features French Art Nouveau-inspired interiors — gilded moldings, chandeliers, curving lines.
• Optional: Reserve ahead for afternoon tea (~£70pp) if you want to soak up the interiors in style.
🖼️ Bonus Stop: THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS
📍 Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
⏱️ 5 mins walk / Optional 30 mins visit
• Not strictly Art Nouveau, but often features exhibits related to decorative arts and early 20th-century design.
• Worth checking current exhibitions.
✅ End Point: Green Park Station or Piccadilly Circus
🗺️ MAP / NAVIGATION TIP
You can plug the stops into Google Maps and walk in this order:
[Start] Tottenham Court Road > Heal’s > Fitzroy Square > Ideal House > Liberty > Royal Arcade > Ritz Hotel > Royal Academy [End]