Join Open House London's Architecture on the Thames central boat tour, Saturday 7 December 1pm
© Anthony Coleman
Join Open City director Rory Olcayto and Open House Tour’s star guide Benedict O'Looney on this pre-Christmas tour along the River Thames. Together they will survey the landmark architecture of central London’s embankments and the skyline beyond, providing a fact-filled, entertaining and critical review of the city’s stunning skyline.
Departing from Crown Pier, the tour first ventures upriver to Nine Elms, taking in Battersea Power Station, the new American Embassy and the studio of world-famous ‘starchitect’ Norman Foster, designer of the Gherkin and the Millennium Bridge. Then heading downriver, our guide will explore the design and history of Michael Hopkins' imposing Portcullis House, the Neo-classical Somerset House and Renzo Piano's Shard, London’s super-contemporary skyscraper, among many others.
This unique riverside tour offers a fresh perspective on London’s emerging and established skyline and is led by our specialist guide Benedict O'Looney. Benedict's in-depth knowledge - he is a both a practicing architect and a teacher at the prestigious Architectural Association - guarantees deep insight and thoughtful commentary. Benedict’s sparring partner this time, Open City director Rory Olcayto, is an award-winning architectural critic, and the former editor of the Architects’ Journal.
Rory will provide additional commentary complimenting Benedict’s encyclopaedic knowledge on London’s skyline by providing a critical take on the city’s newest icons. “Most of London’s ‘icons’ today are new – built in the past twenty years. Think of the Gherkin, the Shard, the London Eye, the Walkie Talkie - even Battersea Power Station’s ‘chimneys’,” says Rory Olcayto. ‘They’ve all been built in the past twenty years. I’ll be exploring the culture behind this this transformation of London’s fabled townscape.”
GROUP DISCOUNT CODE: Enter GROUP at the checkout on purchases of 3 or more tickets to receive a 15% discount
Departing and returning to Crown Pier, Victoria Embankment EC4Y. Duration 2.45hrs approx. Regretfully no children under 7. Booked only for capacity for the inside covered deck in case of rain. Pre-order bagels can be purchased here
An Evening With...Kew House - Thursday 5 December 6.30/7.45pm
© Jack Hobhouse
This evening event will an exclusive opportunity to tour RIBA Award Winner Kew House by Piercy & Company with owners Jo Lucas and Tim Lucas, also structural engineer to the project with Price & Myers.
Situated a stone's throw from Kew Gardens, this four-bedroom family house replaced a derelict Victorian stable and garages formerly on the site in the Kew Gardens Conservation Area.
A crisp weathering steel volume of two corten shells is inserted behind the retained walls of a 19th century brick stables. The weathering steel shells will create a patina and colour responsive to the local vernacular, and are delicately perforated to cast dappled light in the interior spaces, reminiscent of light filtered through trees.
The house is divided into two distinct wings. The larger wing, housing day to day communal areas, is created by the steel insertion behind the retained stables gable end. The smaller wing, containing more private spaces and master bedroom, is clad fully in weathered steel and glass and is set back from the street. The two wings are connected by a transparent, glazed circulation link, which overlooks a secluded outdoor courtyard; a seamless and secure extension of the internal space.
The pitched forms of the corten shells pick up the rhythms of the rooflines of the Kew Gardens Conservation Area, the adjacent church roof and the retained stable gable end.
The project won an RIBA London Award, an Institution of Structural Engineers Award and numerous other awards.
Each tour duration 1 hour. Limited places, cost £35.50 with complimentary prosecco and nibbles. In Kew TW9, full address provided to bookers.
Ticket purchases of these special one-off tours are in support of our pioneering education programmes.
Photography Tour - Architecture by Night - Tuesday 19 November 6pm
© Richard Chivers
Photographing the City’s iconic structures, the tour includes Lloyd’s Building, Bank and Tower Bridge where lighting dramatically re-enforces their night time presence.
This is an introductory tour led by an acclaimed architectural photographer and member of the architectural photography agency VIEW Pictures, who will be on hand to guide you and answer any questions as you discover the techniques of night photography.
The tour will cover:
- Illumination of the City’s buildings and how to photograph them
- Using long shutter speeds to render light trails
- Optimum time to take night photographs
- Selection of aperture, shutter and ISO to produce best results
- Your rights to photograph in public
- Illumination of the City’s buildings and how to photograph them
- Using long shutter speeds to render light trails
- Optimum time to take night photographs
- Selection of aperture, shutter and ISO to produce best results
- Your rights to photograph in public
Participants should be familiar with the manual functions of their camera. Cameras not provided. A TRIPOD IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS
Meet: At the post boxes, opposite Lloyd’s of London, One Lime Street EC3M 7HA. Cost £35.50. Duration 2hrs. Tour ends at Tower Pier. This is the last night photography tour of 2019.
An Evening With...Holland Park House - Wednesday 11 December 6.30/7.45pm
This evening event will give an exclusive opportunity to tour Holland Park House with the owners and architects Architecture for London.
Charlie Barda and his wife bought their home on this mid-century modern estate in Holland Park by celebrated architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew.
Built in 1966, the estate features red brick terraces with integrated garages and generous communal gardens. Original internal partitions were removed to create flexible open plan living spaces for young family life. A new winding stair is finished in powder coated steel and oak. This compact stair results in significant additional useable floor area on each level.
The rear extension in matching brick creates a kitchen and social space at ground floor, with a large frameless window allowing new views of the side garden. White oiled oak flooring provides a clean contemporary finish, while reflecting light deep into the room. At first floor, a flexible space can be separated with sliding doors to create a study, play room and a formal reception room overlooking the garden. The study is located in the original shiplap timber clad bay, that cantilevers over the main entrance.
Dark blue ceramic tiles in the garden draw inspiration from the original tiles at the entrance to each house. Bold colour highlights, a nod to Richard Rogers' Wimbledon House - built in the same year as this and a favourite architect of the owner continue in the kitchen, new stair and the geometric tiled bathroom. The house is finished with a selection of mid-century furniture in keeping with the era. Find out more about Architecture for London here
Each tour duration 1 hour. Limited places, cost £35.50 with complimentary prosecco and nibbles. Located in Holland Park W14, exact address provided to bookers before the event. Project was in collaboration with Liddicoat & Goldhill Architects.
Ticket purchases of these special one-off tours are in support of our pioneering education programmes.
Walking Tour - Olympics & Beyond - Saturday 14 December 11am
© Angus Hamilton
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and its Stratford environs is one of the busiest and most unusual development areas in London. The former Olympic Park, its venues and village are all now open in their post Olympic form, alongside Europe’s largest urban retail centre and the office sector, known as the International Quarter is starting to open. This is an opportunity to explore this rapidly changing area, in the context both of its rich industrial past, and ambitious plans for the future, which include ‘East Bank', containing new facilities for the V&A, Sadler’s Wells, the BBC, London College of Fashion and University College London. The tour takes you past all the Olympic venues, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the north and south Park, and through what is now known as East Village, with a brief incursion into the dramatically different world beyond the Park at Hackney Wick.
Your guide has worked on the planning and development of the area for over twenty years, most recently as Olympic planning and regeneration advisor for the Department for Communities and Local Government. He is now visiting professor at the University of East London.
Meet: 11am at the big red 'Robert Steam Engine' Outside the main entrance of Stratford Station, opposite the bus station. Tour duration 2-2.5 hours. Tour ends near Stratford.
