SENIOR members of Bournemouth Civic Society paid a visit to the Daily Echo offices to see the building’s grand Art Deco architecture close up.

The society’s committee members and their partners took a tour of the building, which has been home to the paper since 1934.

After being shown around by business and special publications editor Darren Slade, the visitors went for lunch at the Print Room, the award-winning restaurant in the building’s former press hall.

Committee member John Walker said they had visited the Echo ahead of their annual lunch because of its architectural merit.

“We were interested in seeing it from an architectural point of view and seeing the Print Room, where the print works were,” he said.

Construction of the Echo building in 1933 used half a million bricks and large quantities of white Monks Park Bath stone as well as Purbeck stone.