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Petition to save all of the Eduardo Paolozzi Tottenham Court Road mosaic

Date uploaded: February 2, 2015

Despite public protests and a petition that has attracted nearly 8000 signatures, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that three of the four arches at Tottenham Court Road station featuring murals by Eduardo Paolozzi have been dismantled.

The Twentieth Century Society has revealed that they were informed of the news during a meeting last week with TfL and architects Hawkins Brown. The removal of the murals is a result of the development of a new Crossrail and tube station.

At the same meeting, the Society said assurances were given that the large Paolozzi mural above the former Oxford Street entrance to the station will be saved. It will be removed from its current location and relocated to a new site.

The multi-coloured mosaic was installed by the Leith-born artist in 1984, and decorates many hundreds of metres of the 100-year-old station through which 150,000 pass every day.

However, as part of the redevelopment of the station, parts of the mosaic are to be removed and possibly re-sited by Transport for London (TfL).

Although TfL say they respect and admire the mosaics, and intend to redisplay the removed sections after the work is complete, art experts are concerned the display could be damaged in the moves.

For more about this story click here.

© Julie Gibson

© Julie Gibson