Firestone Tyre Factory

Former factory in Brentford, England

Firestone Tyre Factory

1963 view of the factory

Location within Greater London

General information
Town or city| Brentford
Country| United Kingdom
Coordinates| 51°29′5.9″N 0°19′18.7″W﻿ / ﻿51.484972°N 0.321861°W﻿ / 51.484972; -0.321861
Destroyed| August 1980
Design and construction
Architecture firm| Wallis, Gilbert and Partners

The Firestone Tyre Factory was an Art Deco building on the Great West Road in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. It was designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.[1] Built on a 26–acre site, it opened in October 1928[2][3] and was the second factory to open on the Great West Road, following Hudson-Essex Motors of Great Britain Limited which opened in 1927.[4][5]

## Demolition and controversy

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The company announced in November 1979 that it would close the factory.[6][7]

After its purchase by Trafalgar House, the building was demolished during the August 1980 bank holiday weekend, reportedly in anticipation of its becoming listed.[8][9] The Twentieth Century Society call the structure their "first serious case" and say that its destruction[10] "focused public attention on the necessity for greater protection for 20th century buildings and led directly to the listing of 150 examples of inter–war architecture (including Battersea Power Station) by the government". The gates, piers and railings fencing the site received a Grade II listing in 2001.[1]

## See also

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* India Tyre Factory
* Fort Dunlop
* Michelin House
* Hoover Building

## References

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1. ^ a b "Central Gates, Gate Piers and Railings to the Former Firestone Factory – Hounslow – Greater London – England". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 October 2013. "Central gates, gate piers and railngs to the former Firestone Factory. 1928 by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners."
2. ^ "25 years on – the end of Firestone (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)". Richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk. 1 September 2005. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
3. ^ Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES. (17 October 1928). "FIRESTONE, IN AKRON, ADDRESSES LONDONERS - Tire Manufacturer Uses Radio for Speech at Opening of New Factory. - Article". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
4. ^ "The Great West Road Then & Now | Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society". brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
5. ^ A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), Heston and Isleworth: Economic and social history, pages 114–119. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
6. ^ "Firestone Plans Cuts in Europe". The New York Times. 15 November 1979. "The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Ltd, said today that it would discontinue operations at its Brentford, Middlesex, plant within the next three [...]"
7. ^ "Los Angeles Times: Archives – Firestone to Cut European Output". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 15 November 1979. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
8. ^ Fiona MacCarthy (20 November 2004). "Grand designs | Art and design". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
9. ^ "'Erotic gherkin' company has 'form'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25 August 2000. "Trafalgar House used to own the Firestone Building on Western Avenue. Two days before the building was to be listed, it flattened that, too."
10. ^ "About us – The Twentieth Century Society". C20society.org.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2013.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Former Firestone factory, Brentford.

* Globalnet.co.uk: Firestone Factory
* Britainfromabove.org: Firestone tyre factory
* Brentford and Chiswicklhs.org: Firestone Factory
* Disused-stations.org: Brentford

51°29′5.9″N 0°19′18.7″W﻿ / ﻿51.484972°N 0.321861°W﻿ / 51.484972; -0.321861

* v
* t
* e

Bridgestone Corporation

Subsidiaries|

* Bridgestone Golf
* Firestone Diversified Products
* Firestone Natural Rubber Company
* Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
* Firestone-Apsley Rubber Company

Products|

* Bridgestone Picnica
* Helmz

Facilities|

* Firestone Tyre Factory
* Bridgestone Tower

People|

* Shōjirō Ishibashi
* Harvey S. Firestone

Related|

* Akron Firestone Non-Skids
* Bridgestone Arena
* Bridgestone Museum of Art
* Bridgestone Open
* Firestone and Ford tire controversy
* Firestone Country Club
* International Labor Rights Forum v Firestone Tire and Rubber Co
* The Voice of Firestone
* WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
* Tire war (2005 United States Grand Prix)

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