What to see at Open House 2019

Open House London opens up some of London's most interesting buildings, from private houses to major business headquarters and everything in between, for one weekend only. It's on over September 21-22, and we've rounded up the things we're most excited to see.

22 August 2019

Open House London has been running for 27 years, on the philosophy that allowing people access to interesting buildings is the best way to promote good design. This year it takes place over the weekend of September 21-22, when over 800 buildings around London will be open to the public, from grand institutions like Burlington House to the latest innovative residential projects around London. We've gathered some of the highlights that you can visit over the course of the weekend.

1/10
Oaklands Grove
Top 100 Interior Designer Beata Heuman worked on the interiors of this west London home, which will have its doors open for the weekend. It has a unique finish that allows lots of light in and uses many natural materials and interesting textural finishes on the walls.
Open Saturday 10am-5pm. No booking required. 32 Oaklands Grove, W12 0JA
2/10
Room by Antony Gormley
Sculptor Antony Gormley is best known for his cast iron figures, from the lifesize iterations to the looming Angel of the North. However, his most eye catching piece is perhaps 'ROOM', a giant cuboid crouching figure which is also a suite at the Beaumont hotel. Over the weekend, there are 60 minute tours of the space.
Open Saturday and Sunday 2-5pm. Booking required (book here). The Beaumont, Brown Hart Gardens, 8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF
3/10
10 Downing Street
Open House is providing an extremely rare chance to see inside the rooms where our country is run from. Admission is by a ballot system so only a few lucky entrants will have the chance to step where few have gone before and see the state rooms where Boris Johnson is buttering up fellow world leaders.
Open Saturday, tours at 11am and 2pm. Entrance by ballot (apply here). 10 Downing Street, SW1A 2AA
4/10
Leighton House Museum
This monumental West London house was originally the studio and home of Lord Leighton, President of the Royal Academy. The museum houses an outstanding collection of high Victorian art, both fine and decorative, including works by Leighton himself.
Open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5,30pm. 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ

5/10
Cork House
A Victorian terrace house in South London has had an extension added on, clad in the sustainable material making a comeback in the design world: cork. The cork absorbs noise internally, is breathable, free from synthetic resins, chemicals or harmful materials and is fully recyclable. It also insulates the house without the need for expanded foam insulation.
Open Saturday 10am-5pm. 67 Algernon Road, SE13 7AS
6/10
Bloomberg European Headquarters
Bloomberg's European headquarters, designed by Foster + Partners and completed in 2017, is the world's most sustainable office building, and houses major art commissions and the Roman ruins of the Mithraeum.
Open Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 10am-1pm. Booking required (book here). 3 Queen Victoria Street, EC4N 4TQ
7/10
A House with a Slide
This jolly family house in East London features many witty details that make it worth a visit. A series of arched windows add architectural interest while the addition of a slide from the ground floor to the basement is entirely original. The end-of-terrace house dates to 1866.
Open Saturday, 2-4pm. Booking required (book here). 41 Groombridge Road, E9 7DP
8/10
US Embassy
The new US embassy in Nine Elms houses interior gardens based on regions of the United States, as well as an exceptionally environmentally friendly design. Expect queues and airport style security.
Open Saturday 9.45am-1.15pm. Booking required (book here). 33 Nine Elms Lane, SW11 7US

9/10
Round House
Another building with children at the forefront, this 2016 house with eight bedrooms and a huge 3500 square feet of space features slides to hidden areas and a fireman’s pole connecting the ground and first floor.
Open Sunday 10am-1pm. 188 Blythe Road, W14 0HW
10/10
Burlington House
The various wings of Burlington House host a number of learned societies as well as the newly-opened extension of the Royal Academy. The building, just off Piccadilly, dates back to the seventeenth century but much of its current interior space was designed in the mid-1800s. The entire building will be open to visitors.
Open Saturday, 10am-5pm. Piccadilly, W1J 0BQ