London Open House - Sept 16th and 17th

---

Unique access to some of London's finest local buildings

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s Open House, this year’s event will take place on 16th and 17th September 2006.

In total, over 600 contemporary and historical architecturally significant (and often private) buildings will open their doors to the public including many in the local area.

Victoria Thornton, Founding Director of Open House, comments: “experiencing a building in the flesh – inside and out, can help you understand it, assess it, in a way you never could from a picture. If Open House can get Londoners to care passionately about their city and its future buildings, we will really have achieved something”.

The programme, organised by the architecture education charity Open House, hosts a huge range of buildings from private homes, historical houses, arts spaces and contemporary offices to studios, Institutions, City banks, and government buildings. All access is completely free of charge, and in some areas, guided walks have been arranged so that someone with local interest can explain the background to the buildings. 

An interesting-sounding new addition to the Ealing offering this year is The Nails in W13: " Two new semi-detached houses conceived as a single block - a 'black cuboid form' of polished and rough cast masonry blocks with red and yellow glazed panels. Inside are double-height spaces, mezzanines and rooflights." This is an opportunity to see for yourself the sorts of modern designs featured in TV programmes such as "Grand Designs" which grip our imagination so vividly.

Details of days and opening times are available on the Open House London website - see the Related Links in the box to the right.

Buildings open in Ealing are:

14 South Parade

Acton Town Hall

Brentham Garden Suburb

Ealing Abbey

Ealing Village

Hanwell Flight of Locks & Three Bridges

Holy Cross Old Church

Nail Houses, Chapel Road, W13

Open End, Mount Park Crescent

Pitzhanger Manor-House

St Mary's Parish Church

St Thomas the Apostle

The Elms (Twyford C of E High School

The Manor House (Southall)

 

September 7, 2006