Open House London 2019, discover the best architecture in SE1 and SE16

Open House London 2019, discover the best architecture in SE1 and SE16

Open House London 2019, the world’s largest architectural showcase will take place 21 & 22 September. And for the third year in a row, every London borough is participating. Over 800 buildings will open their doors to the public across the two-day festival, alongside a programme of neighbourhood walks and architect-led tours –with everything free to attend.

And with this year’s festival theme of ‘social’ Open House is exploring what it means to live together in cities today.

The following is only a selection of buildings in SE1 and SE16. We strongly recommend to use visit Open House London website or download the app to explore other places across Southwark and London.

Click on the name of each venue for further information including disabled access and queues expectation.

Allies and Morrison | 85 Southwark Street, SE1 OHX

• Sat 10am -5pm, Last entry at 4.15pm

Allies and Morrison Studios complex includes the original RIBA award winning studio, a converted Grade II listed warehouse and a new timber building.

Anise Gallery / AVR London | 12a Shad Thames, SE1 2PU

• Sat 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm) + artist tour of exhibition at 3pm +Photography exhibition
• Sun 10am – 1pm (last entry 12.15) + artist tour of exhibition at 12pm +Photography exhibition

A Victorian spice warehouse, re-invented to house an architectural artwork gallery, an architectural illustrator’s studio and a virtual reality company. The design focuses on flexibility and workspace collaboration.

Borealis Restaurant | 80 Borough High Street, SE1 1LH

• Sat 10am – 5pm | Sun 10am -1pm (max visitors 30)

Borealis is connected to Fora, a pioneering co-working company, who worked together with design studio JLK to curate an atmosphere that combines effortless Scandinavian cool with a suave London member’s club aesthetic.

Brunel Museum | Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, SE16 4LF

• Sat & Sun 10am – 5pm (max visitors 150)
• Train Tours through Thames Tunnel every 60 mins (11am-4pm) max 50 per tour

London’s story of an engineering family that changed the world. Dramatic new staircase below sculpture garden leads to underground chamber. Travel by train through first underwater shopping arcade & fairground to view Thames Tunnel portico.

Canada Water Library | 21 Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AR

• Sat 9am – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm) | Sun 12pm – 4pm (Last entry 3.30pm)
• Library staff led tours of the roof space, theatre and meeting rooms every 60 mins (10am-3pm) max 20 per tour. No tours at 12pm or 1 pm.

A civic centrepiece for the regeneration of the area around Canada Water. Its inverted pyramid form is an innovative response to providing an efficient single large library floor on a smaller footprint site.

City Hall | City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, SE1 2AA

• Sat / We Are All Londoners: Celebrating our European Culture and Communities (Event) (A day of sharing European language, food, art, stories and music. All in honour of celebrating and supporting European Londoners. We’ll also be offering free immigration advice on the EU Settlement scheme and discussing the impacts of Brexit – LLR and the spiral stairs on not accessible on Saturday 21 Sept. )
• Sun 22 / 10.30am – 4.30pm

Keymet Factory | 52 Ossory Road, SE1 5AN

• Sat and Sun / 10am – 5pm (Max visitors 12)

The operational factory of Kaymet, a maker of trays and trolleys since 1947. A hidden 1950s building with a small yard, originally a printing works. It is brick built, with clear-storey glazing and tubular truss north-light main shed roof.

King’s College London: Museum of Life Sciences | Hodgkin Building, Guy’ Campus, King’s College London, SE1 1UL

• Sun / 11.30am – 4pm
• Museum of Life Sciences only (max visitors 25)

Constructed in 1902 as the Will’s Library, part of Guy’s Hospital Medical School. Building of red brick with additional stonework and partially covered in creeper. Internally are carved oak cabinets and columns.

Kirkaldy Testing Works | 99 Southwark Street, SE1 0JF

• Sat 21 / 11am – 3.30pm (max visitors 15)

Proudly carved over the door are the words ‘Facts not Opinions’. Inside, the sight – and smell – of Kirkaldy’s Testing and Experimenting Works is a unique and direct link with an ingenious age of engineering.

London College of Communication | Elephant and Castle, SE1 6SB

• Sat / 11am – 4pm
• Graphic Narratives and Social Impact (demonstration / workshop)
• Pre-booking is required for this building Visit booking website
• Prebooking required for Graphic Narratives and Social Impact

A classic example of modernism from the radical Architects Department of London County Council.

Built in 1959-67 as offices for the Ministry of Health by architect Ernö Goldfinger. Constructed in two phases, phase one 1959-62, phase two 1964-67. Converted into a residential development, renamed Metro Central Heights in 1997.

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret | 9a St Thomas Street, SE1 9RY

• Sun / 10.30am – 5pm
• Access via narrow 52 step spiral staircase. (max visitors 55)

St Thomas’ Church attic (1703) once part of old St Thomas’ Hospital, houses the hospital’s Herb Garret and the oldest surviving 19C operating theatre in Europe.

Queen’s Court | 2 Old Jamaica Rd, Bermondsey, London SE16 4ER, SE16 4ER

• Sat / Sun Open 1pm–5pm (max visitors 10)
• Pre-booking is required for this building Email booking request

Designed by CGL, Queen’s Court is an affordable housing project for Notting Hill Genesis (NHG)

Sands Films Studios and Rotherithe Picture Research Library

Science Gallery London | King’s College London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9GU

• Sat / Sun | Open 10am–6pm
• Architectural tour of Science Gallery London every 120 mins (11am-5pm) max 20 per tour. Tours run at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

Stanley Terrace | 222 Lower Road, SE8 5DJ

• Sat / Open 10am–5pm (max visitors 10)
• Design Talk at 10.15am (Talk), capacity 10
• Smart Home Talk at 3pm (Talk), capacity 10
• Pre-booking is required for this building Email booking request

Building is over 100 years old and has been refurbished keeping the original facade. Inside, it has a modern finish with smart home technology to create a unique set of 3 smart flats. This is a well designed but practical space.

Shad Thames Water Tower | Flat 16, Butler & Colonial Wharf, 10 Shad Thames, SE1 2PX

• Architect-led tour of water tower every 45 mins (10am-4.15pm) max 12 per tour.
• Pre-booking is required for this building | Phone: 020 7407 3336

An unusual project which colonised the redundant volume of a disused water tower above a 19C warehouse apartment, creating usable floor area and a visual & physical link to a roof terrace in the former water tank above.

Small Beer Brewery | 70-72 Verney Road, SE16 3DH

• Sat / Open 1pm–5pm

The Dixon, Tower Bridge | 211 Tooley Street, SE1 2JX

• Sat 2.30pm – 4.30pm / Sun 2.30pm – 4.30pm /
• Shakedown Coffee Cupping Session at 3pm (demonstration / workshop), capacity 6

The Dixon occupies an awe-inspiring building that dates from 1905, when it served as the Tower Bridge Magistrates Court. Named after the Grade II listed building’s original Edwardian architect, The Dixon now serves as a 4* hotel.

The Hoxton, Southwark | 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8PB

• Sat / Sun | Tour at 9am, 11am, 3pm (Max 10 per tour)

The Hoxton, Southwark is a new build property designed by Architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands in collaboration with Ennismore Design Studio.

The Music Box | 235 – 241 Union Street, SE1 0LR

• Sat / Open 10am–5pm (max visitors 50)

The Modern House | St Alphege Hall, King’s Bench Street, SE1 0QX

• Sun 22 / 10am -1pm (max visitors 100)
• Architect-led tour of The Modern House at 10am, 12pm (Max 60 per tour)

The Old Mortuary | St Marychurch Street, SE16 4JE

• Sat & Sun 10am – 5pm | Max visitors 30
• Regular tours every 10 mins (10am-4.30pm) max 10 per tour
• Exhibition of local history (exhibition) (Available to view all day)

Retains many original features including original doors, vaulted ceiling in Russell Hall, lantern skylight & iron girder in Varney Room (former post-mortem room), wooden panelling in chapel. Now community centre.

The School of Historical Dress | 52 Lambeth Road, SE1 7PP

• Sat / Sun | Open 10am–5pm

The building was originally built in 1841 as the ‘Royal South London Dispensary’ for the working poor

Unicorn Theatre | 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ

• Sun 11am – 5pm
• Pre-booking is required for this building Visit booking website
• Open House Tours every 60 mins (12pm-3pm) max 15 per tour

The first professional, purpose-built theatre for young audiences in UK.

White Cube Bermondsey | 144 – 152 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ

• Sat / 10am – 6pm / White Cube Bermondsey ‘behind-the-scenes’ building and exhibition tour at 11am, 12pm
• Sun / General access, no tours

Pre-booking is required for this building Email booking request

White Cube Bermondsey opened in 2011 in a former 1970s warehouse, renovated by architects Casper Mueller Kneer. Incorporating 58,000 sq ft of interior space, the gallery has hosted many important exhibitions since its inception.

The Low Line | Meet at cycle hire docking station behind Southwark Tube station off Blackfriars Road

• Sat / Tour at 12pm (Max 30 per tour) Guided tour of the Low Line in Bankside and London Bridge
• email booking request

Guided walking tour of the Low Line in Bankside and London Bridge. The Low Line is an emerging world-class walking destination along the base of the Victorian rail viaducts in south London, linking Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey