Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

London Open House Weekend

Latest news, articles and photos

London Open House Weekend - Latest news, articles and photos

St. Paul’s Bow Common – Discovering one of the UK’s best post-war churches
St. Paul’s Bow Common – Discovering one of the UK’s best post-war churches

St. Paul’s Bow Common – Discovering one of the UK’s best post-war churches

One of the UK's best post-war buildings can be found in east London, although it might be fair to say that you might not realise how good it is if you only look at the outside.

Sep
28
2023
A selection from London Open House 2023
A selection from London Open House 2023

A selection from London Open House 2023

The annual festival of buildings opening to the public, London Open House returns next month, letting Londoners inside normally private or difficult to visit buildings for free.

Aug
22
2023
Tours of 10 Downing Street and the new London Museum with Open House London
Tours of 10 Downing Street and the new London Museum with Open House London

Tours of 10 Downing Street and the new London Museum with Open House London

There will be a chance to go on one of two guided tours of 10 Downing Street next month, or see inside the building site that's creating the new London Museum in Smithfield.

Aug
21
2023
Tickets Alert: Free tours of Thames Water’s grand pumping stations
Tickets Alert: Free tours of Thames Water’s grand pumping stations

Tickets Alert: Free tours of Thames Water’s grand pumping stations

Next month, six of London’s magnificent sewage and water pumping stations will be opened to the public for free tours, and tickets to go to several of them will be released tomorrow (21st August).

Aug
20
2023
Tickets Alert: Tours of the BT Tower taking place next month
Tickets Alert: Tours of the BT Tower taking place next month

Tickets Alert: Tours of the BT Tower taking place next month

Next month is two weeks of visiting lots of usually closed buildings, and one of them is the BT Tower*, which will be open as part of London's Open House Festival.

Aug
16
2023
The remarkable concrete interior of the LSE’s Marshall Building
The remarkable concrete interior of the LSE’s Marshall Building

The remarkable concrete interior of the LSE’s Marshall Building

A rather grim dark brick building overlooking Lincolns Inn Fields in central London that used to be a cancer research facility is now a dramatic concrete and stone building that's part of the LSE cluster of university buildings.

Sep
14
2022
Open House London bookings open next week
Open House London bookings open next week

Open House London bookings open next week

An important date for your diaries, as the annual festival of letting people inside normally private buildings, will open for ticket bookings next week.

Aug
17
2022
One month to go until Open House London
One month to go until Open House London

One month to go until Open House London

Next month, the annual chance to see inside buildings that are not usually open to the public returns, with around 700 buildings opening up, many for the first time since the pandemic closed so much of the city to everyone.

Aug
11
2022
Get your London County Council branded socks
Get your London County Council branded socks

Get your London County Council branded socks

The logos of London's councils are the inspiration for a range of socks from the team that puts on the annual Open House weekend letting us inside normally private buildings.

Aug
03
2022
Architecture tours from Open City
Architecture tours from Open City

Architecture tours from Open City

Open City, the team that runs the annual London Open House Weekend also puts on an all-year programme of events, including architecture walking tours.

Jul
21
2022
Open House London’s 2022 guide is now available for preorder
Open House London’s 2022 guide is now available for preorder

Open House London’s 2022 guide is now available for preorder

Open House London, the chance to see inside hundreds of buildings across the whole of London is back again, and you can pre-order the annual guide at an early-bird price.

Jun
30
2022
The concrete heart of Bermondsey’s “Biscuit Town”
The concrete heart of Bermondsey’s “Biscuit Town”

The concrete heart of Bermondsey’s “Biscuit Town”

A few streets to the south of Bermondsey tube station used to be a large biscuit factory estate, the Peek Freans factory, but it's about to be redeveloped.

Oct
07
2021
The gardens of the Aga Khan Centre
The gardens of the Aga Khan Centre

The gardens of the Aga Khan Centre

An unassuming white building behind King's Cross conceals a wonderful interior and rooftop garden.

Oct
01
2021
See inside the refurbished Lambeth Town Hall
See inside the refurbished Lambeth Town Hall

See inside the refurbished Lambeth Town Hall

On the corner of busy Brixton's main road is Lambeth Town Hall, a grand municipal building that has recently completed a major refurbishment. And tours were held for this year's Open House Weekend.

Sep
14
2021
Inside Peckham’s decaying Caroline Gardens Chapel
Inside Peckham’s decaying Caroline Gardens Chapel

Inside Peckham’s decaying Caroline Gardens Chapel

Just off the Old Kent Road is a large set of almshouses built just under 200 years ago and in the middle is a large and atmospherically decaying chapel building.

Sep
09
2021
Reminder – Open House London starts on Saturday
Reminder – Open House London starts on Saturday

Reminder – Open House London starts on Saturday

The annual chance to peer inside other people's buildings returns from this weekend, with some 650 venues taking place.

Sep
02
2021
Book review: A cultural and social history of the London pub
Book review: A cultural and social history of the London pub

Book review: A cultural and social history of the London pub

A new book published by Open City takes a look at London's pubs from a different perspective taken by many pub guides published today.

Aug
30
2021
Open House London tickets released next week
Open House London tickets released next week

Open House London tickets released next week

A heads-up that booking for tickets to the annual chance to wander around grand and impressive buildings will be released next week.

Aug
05
2021
Cardboard models of London buildings
Cardboard models of London buildings

Cardboard models of London buildings

More cardboard models of famous buildings have been released by Open House Weekend, so you can build your own Dawson's Heights or Battersea Power Station.

Jun
29
2021
Cardboard models of London’s top buildings
Cardboard models of London’s top buildings

Cardboard models of London’s top buildings

The London Open House Weekend team have released a collection of cardboard models of some of London's more notable buildings.

Sep
17
2020
An Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs
An Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs

An Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs

With the lockdown uncertainty affecting the annual Open House Weekend, instead of a guide book, they've produced an Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs.

Jul
16
2020
Pre-order the London Open House Weekend guidebook
Pre-order the London Open House Weekend guidebook

Pre-order the London Open House Weekend guidebook

Even though London’s annual architectural feast / chance to peer in people’s private homes (delete as appropriate) is not due until the middle of September, you can already place pre-orders for the printed guide.

Apr
16
2020
Open House London bookings list
Open House London bookings list

Open House London bookings list

It’s that time of year again as a dark green booklet flops into homes across the Capital informing us which delights will be available during the annual Open House Weekend.

Aug
19
2019
The Views from One Blackfriars
The Views from One Blackfriars

The Views from One Blackfriars

A boomerang, or vase, depending on your preference has risen up in Southwark and at the weekend, there was a chance to have a look at the views to be enjoyed by the super-rich who will live within.

Sep
22
2017