Open House Weekend in The Borough Of Wandsworth

Open House Wandsworth this weekend

The newly built National Tennis Centre in Roehampton is one of 13 local buildings throwing open its doors to the public this weekend as part of Open House London.

The annual architectural festival takes place September 19 - 20 when hundreds of the capital’s buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public, will reveal their interiors free of charge.

Over 700 architectural activities will be taking place, from talks and tours, visits and debates. The buildings involved range from nationally important architectural masterpieces, to small domestic dwellings. This year there will be a special focus on examples of sustainable design and many regeneration and urban design professionals will be leading site visits.

The 13 Wandsworth buildings taking part include the National Tennis Centre - a new facility dedicated to preparing young British players for world class competitions. Three-dimensional grid shell, dome-like roofs cover six in-door courts for year-round use. The gyms and training areas are on one side and the residential areas, carefully articulated with balconies and windows, are on the other, giving scale and richness to the facade.

Renowned architecture practice Foster and Partners will open up their Battersea head quarters. The single-space, double-height purpose-built architects' studio is 60 metres long - part of a larger river-side building that has 30 apartments and the Foster-designed Albion complex next door.

Once again, the magnificent Tooting Bec Lido (pictured), one of the largest open-air swimming pools in Europe, will be open to the public throughout the weekend.

The Gala Bingo Hall (former Granada Cinema) in Tooting is another local landmark taking part in this year’s programme. The building is an exceptional example of the "super cinema style" of the 1930s with outstanding gothic interior by Theodore Komisarjevsky. It was the first cinema to be Grade I Listed.

September 15, 2009