On September 18-19, a quarter of a million people spent their weekend experiencing architecture during Open House London. The festival, now in its 18th year, had the largest turnout yet and offered free public access to more than 750 buildings. Read the wrap-up from Open-City for highlights and insightful feedback.
Thanks to Anna Cassidy of Open-City for bringing us this report on Open House London 2010.
Open House London 2010
Over a quarter of a million people are estimated to have visited 750 of London’s most intriguing and iconic buildings. Highlights include Lord Richard Rogers’ Lloyds of London, which hit a record 7,000 visitors, and the BT Tower, which had a staggering 32,000 ballot entries, having opened to the public for the first time in 29 years. Tours of the Olympic Park gave 4,000 visitors a glimpse of the progress of Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre and for the first time tours included entrance into the arena of the Olympic stadium. Meanwhile, Foster + Partners’ City Hall became host to family events creating architectural designs for an alternative eco London.
The VIP and press launch took place at the top of the BT Tower, with 360 degree views of the sunset across London. The new Open House Worldwide website was announced along with news of the inaugural Open House Barcelona, set for 16th & 17th October 2010 and new Open House events planned for 2011 in Rome and Chicago.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson commented “I’m delighted that Open House is going global, showing that architecturally London can hold its own with other great cities around the world. From historic churches to gleaming spires and the best in sustainable living, this fine showcase of creativity is a terrific opportunity to explore our city’s great history in brick, in wood, in glass and in steel and it comes as no surprise that it is now receiving international attention.”
This initiative goes from strength to strength and this year the attendance and feedback all over London has been incredible.
- Every building team reporting back so far has been quoting their biggest ever turn out, including Lloyds of London who hit a record of 7,000
- 1,000 new fans on facebook in 24 hours
- Flook for iPhone, a location browser platforming Open House London for the first time, had the most simultaneous traffic it had ever had
- 43,000 of the newly created Open House and Transport for London/Legible London maps were downloaded
- Thousands of people visited eco and retro-fit buildings, and got tips from Energy Saving Trust advisors who were on site
Comments from the public:
- Open House shows how good architecture doesn't just need to be the landmarks - how good design improves environments and spaces for people
- As stunning as the buildings are, it's the hospitality and patience of the guides and volunteers that made the most impact. What a fantastic opportunity for clueless but intrigued people like me to discover architecture and London. Many thanks!
- I apply the knowledge I have picked up from visiting buildings to better appreciate architecture in my area and even provide feedback to consultations on new developments
Comment from an architect taking part:
- I have to report that I have never, in over half a century, received so much interest in, or praise for anything I have done, nor seen so much joy on so many faces, nor answered the same questions so many times, nor realised how deep is the general public's understanding of spatial complexity, nor how eager their appreciation of unusual materials.
View from BT Tower launch reception. Credit Nick Delaney.
About Open-City
The Open House Weekend, which was launched by Open-City 18 years ago with Open House London, gives people access to the most innovative, inspiring and engaging examples of a city’s architecture, highlighting the value of good design in creating and sustaining a vibrant city.
To capture the international proliferation of Open House Weekends, a new website has been launched, www.openhouseworldwide.org. This provides the latest news from international cities that are already part of the Open House Family and advice on how other cities can benefit from the initiative.
Open House London was founded in 1992 by Victoria Thornton, with the aim of fostering a better understanding of architecture and the built environment outside the profession.
Victoria set out to make London’s buildings accessible to all, with the mantra that direct experience is the most effective way to learn about, appreciate and make informed judgments about the built environment.
By 1994, 200 contemporary and historic buildings across London were featured in the event. Access to these buildings is always free and this has remained core to the ethos of the event. Open House London now sees a variety of activities, talks, tours and debates as well as over 700 buildings open to the public each September with over 350,000 building visits and the concept is being replicated across Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
The concept spread when Scott Lauer, an Open House London architect volunteer who was practicing at Foster & Partners, founded Open House New York in 2001, which now attracts over 185,000 participants. Then Open House Dublin launched in 2005, followed by Open House Tel Aviv in 2007, Galway in 2009 and now Barcelona. Open-City is in discussion with a number of other cities that are set to launch their own Open House in the near future, including Chicago, Rome and L’Aquila.
Dates:
Open House Dublin 7th – 10 October
Open House New York 9th – 10th October
Open House Galway on 15th – 17th October
Open House Barcelona 16th – 17th October
Open House Tel-Aviv 7th – 8th May