Featuring two SW15 properties 16-17 September
Ark before and after remodelling
For the first time in its 25-year history, every London borough is participating in
this year’s Open House, with free entry to more than 800 of the city’s most
compelling buildings.
Almost every building type is represented accross London: government buildings, offices, places of
worship, military buildings, livery halls, industrial complexes. There’s even a yurt
and a medieval barn. In Wandsworth borough there are twenty on eproperties and in the SW15 area there are two buildings:
Ark Putney Academy (formerly Elliott School)
Pullman Gardens, SW15 3DG
Sat 10am–2pm + architect-led tours of whole
building, every 20 mins T·D
A prime example of a post-war Modernist education
building (Grade II listed), remodelled in order to
meet the community’s current and future learning
needs. LCC Architects (G A Trevett), 1956
Wistaston Cottage
65 Medfield Street, Roehampton, SW15 4JY
Sat 10am–5pm.
A new 2-storey timber rear extension to a Gothic
revival semi-detached house. Shortlisted for the
AJ Small Projects Award and RIBA London Award
2016. Simon Gill Architects, 2014
By giving free entry to London’s best buildings, Open House champions great
architecture and the importance of the public realm. “We want Londoners to speak
as confidently about their built environment as they do about books, music and art. Getting the public inside great buildings and visiting places that are well-designed
is the best way to do it,” says Open House Director Rory Olcayto.
As each Open House weekend has come and gone, London’s skyline – and public
interest in architecture – has been transformed. Neither the Gherkin nor Grand
Designs existed when Open House was launched in 1992. Today, it is a key date in
London’s cultural calendar. Last year more than a quarter of a million people
visited at least one building each over the weekend.
This year’s Open House is also the last chance to visit Crossrail stations – on prebooked
tours –before they open to the public next year.
In this year’s guide you can find details of every building to visit alongside articles
and opinions about London’s great architecture, and a look back over the past
quarter century. To purchase one of the Open House limited edition guides
featuring a silver foil anniversary rosette visit the Open City online shop.
This year Open House has launched a free app for the first time, for both Android
and Apple. Users can view buildings nearby, save favourites to plan their weekend,
and filter results by day, architectural type and period.
August 31, 2017