Open House
20-21 September
Residents will have a chance to explore Hackney’s great architecture during Open House London as more than 20 buildings in Hackney throw open their doors to the public.
As part of the Capital’s largest architectural festival, Open House London, residents are invited to visit the properties free of charge and learn more about their distinct features.
Featured on Channel 4’s property programme Grand Designs, the Victorian terrace at 9 Wilton Way, E8, has been altered to give a slick and contemporary feel with maximum amounts of light. It also features a jungle garden.
The rooftop rubber-safe play area at the Rooftop Nursery in Ottaway Street, Lower Clapton, is the first of its kind in the UK and provides an innovative solution to a lack of space. The creative design earned a Hackney Design Award 2006, a RIBA National Award 2007 and a place on the shortlist for the Prime Minister’s Better Public Buildings Awards 2007.
Village Underground uses recycled tube train carriages to make affordable artists’ studios on reclaimed land on top of an abandoned railway viaduct at Holywell Lane, EC2A.
Grade II listed saloon-style music hall Hoxton Hall, St Augustine’s Tower, Rivington Place, Dalston Culture House, and the Almshouse at the Geffrye Museum are just a few of the other buildings to be explored in the borough.
And the Building Exploratory, a Hackney-based charity focusing on architecture, will host an exhibition and Open House activity trail over the weekend.
The Olympics Delivery Authority is running bus tours around the 2012 site. For details and to book call 0845 671 8010 or see www.london2012.com/open-house
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “Well-designed buildings and public spaces, whether they are large or small, make a vital contribution to creating successful neighbourhoods.
“Getting the chance to go behind the closed doors of public and private buildings to experience first-hand some of these great pieces of architecture free of charge is an opportunity not to be missed.”
For a full list of all buildings open to the public in Hackney during Open House London, visit: www.openhouse.org.uk
Page updated: 10 Sep 2008