please empty your brain below
We saw Open House from the other side this year as, at the request of the architects who designed it, we opened our garden shed for the day. We had about 150 visitors come through our house to our garden - small fry obviously for Open House but an astonishing number for us. The architects had made an effort to bring stuff that people could get involved in/interact with and I baked so it was a really nice atmosphere and we talked to lots of interesting people.

Joan | 23.09.24 - 8:02 a.m. | #

Several Newsquest sites ran the story of the Victoria station arcade and were criticised in the Facebook comments for using a picture of the walkway between platforms 7 and 8 at the mainline station instead. It was a nice screen shot of the side of WH Smith but not the arcade! Thankfully they’ve since updated the image.

Albert | 23.09.24 - 8:32 a.m. | #

My impression this year was that fewer properties were displaying the splendid lime-green banners than previously. At one property I could find only tiny (A4) sheets to point the way.

jack hopkins | 23.09.24 - 9:52 a.m. | #

I visited Bakers Hall as well, on Saturday morning, so we may have passed!

Mikey C | 23.09.24 - 9:55 a.m. | #

I went to Allies & Morrison a few years ago, and agree with all you say. For next year’s architectural practice, you might want to try Squire & Partners at The Department Store in Brixton (assuming it’s open and you haven’t already been). A beautiful renovation of a Victorian, err, department store, with lots of architectural models and interesting views from the roof terrace…

Baldassaro | 23.09.24 - 10:10 a.m. | #

You were ahead of the game again. On the way to the airport I read the report on the Victoria Arcade in the Metro which was inferior in both content and picture.

I was extremely please to be able to visit the Crystal Palace Subway on saturday. I saw it in the 90s in a derelict state and I was extremely impressed on how the have renovated it and made it into a useable space.

Keith the Kraut | 23.09.24 - 10:25 a.m. | #

Braced for a withering put down.. but if I fail to find something, whilst others do, is it invisible?

Frank F | 23.09.24 - 10:34 a.m. | #

Like Keith, I really enjoyed the Crystal Palace Subway. The design of the site felt very much like a railway station, but with unnervingly clean stairways compared to the live railway.

The National Audit Office - in the former Imperial Airways Air Terminal in Victoria - was fascinating too, though long queues for these two places meant I ran out of time to visit Apothecaries Hall as I'd originally planned.

I did once visit Stationers Hall for an event with the Scientific Instrument Makers livery. Their garden is a real oasis in the middle of the City.

Suffolker | Homepage | 23.09.24 - 11:29 a.m. | #

Brunel museum in Rotherhithe was free this past weekend as part of Open House, supposedly the penultimate weekend of opening but it turns out the refurb work has been delayed so it will be open until Christmas.

Missed opportunity for Sands Studio to have open house on the same day, although it seems Sands hasn't been part of open house. (I've been inside for another event but the full history as a tour would be nice)

MilesT | 23.09.24 - 1:34 p.m. | #

I've lost count ...

Something I thought I would never read on a DG blog.

Pedantic of Purley | 23.09.24 - 3:32 p.m. | #

Thanks for the post (as ever). I took a small diversion at lunchtime to take in Victoria Station Arcade. It has been very nicely refurbished.

It seems churlish to moan but there used to be two cafes in the arcade and one in Terminus Place where you could get a simple cooked breakfast at a reasonable price and all have now gone. Not the first to notice the death of traditional cafes, I know, but it makes me sad.

Tunnel Bore | 23.09.24 - 4:56 p.m. | #

I was also at the Regents cinema and the Stationers hall and the Apothecaries hall this weekend! Very impressive venues.

dncn | 23.09.24 - 7:52 p.m. | #

I spent Saturday helping the 1500 visitors to Drapers' Hall (DG visited in 2011, though the spectacular main room has since been refurbished with more subtle tones). Next year it will have the Yeo red portrait of King Charles which is currently on display at Buckingham Palace.

Henry | 24.09.24 - 12:17 a.m. | #











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