Open House
Festival 13-21.9.25

The Soho Open House Neighbourhood Festival kicks with a celebratory event in Soho Square Gardens. This year's theme is Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner, celebrating the many communities that have come to live and work in Soho and and made London their home.

Richard Frith, 1680

The Purpose of Light, Misan Harriman’s landmark photographic exhibition, bears witness to significant moments, not with judgment or ideology, but with a deep and unflinching empathy for the human condition. Featuring 110 unique photographs, this exhibition is a call not for division, but for togetherness.

Step inside Adẹ̀kọ́ & Co., an interior design Studio located in The Design District. The District is made up of 16 buildings designed by 8 pioneering architects housing 170 workspaces. Join us for immersive activities, explore our creative process, materials, and moodboards, and enjoy a Q&A with founder Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́.

David Kohn Architects, 2021

Guided architect's tour of newly built, sociable housing development as part of Mayor of London's & TFL Small Sites delivery of sustainable new homes in the area.

Stolon Studio, 2025

HTA reimagined and repurposed a Victorian warehouse in Hackney Wick, East London, creating a permanent new home for its 200 London-based staff. Built in 1868 as a factory to manufacture the world’s first synthetic plastic, the warehouse originally comprised four separate buildings and was identified as a significant piece of heritage within the Hackney Wick masterplan.

HTA Design, 2022

This Victorian church designed by Blomfield will be open for a tour of its remarkable set of stained glass windows by Margaret Chilton.

Sir Arthur Blomfield, 1887

Bloomberg's European headquarters contains an art gallery with regular exhibitions, and a Roman temple dedicated to the mysterious Cult of Mithras, along a display of astounding Roman objects found by London Museum archaeologists during excavations.

Foster and Partners, 2010

Known as A Living Wonderland, the house serves as an immersive canvas for storytelling, collaboration, and contemporary design, where every detail has been curated with care. Playful, precise and poetic in equal measure, the home unfolds across three bedrooms, three reception rooms, and a lantern-roofed kitchen that opens onto terraced gardens.

Irenie Studio, 2025

Lee Valley VeloPark, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is renowned for hosting major sporting events. It’s where Team GB, including famous cyclists like Sir Chris Hoy MBE, Dame Laura Kenny DBE, and Sir Jason Kenny CBE made history. With seating for 5,500 overlooking the velodrome, we’re the only place in the UK, where you can do four Olympic cycling disciplines in one location.

Hopkins Architects, 2011

Art and architectural activities spread across three exciting City venues, tailored to families with children aged 3-13.

Richard Gilbert Scott, 1999

Common Land has a long and rich tradition of bringing people together in the public realm, and this tradition continues today in the north-eastern corner of Hackney. This guided walking tour around Clapton Common, historic common land in Stamford Hill, will be led by some of the architects and community builders who have recently delivered new social infrastructure to serve a mixed community.

Artefact, 2023

Camden Inspire: Green Loop Takeover is one-day festival taking place in Camden on Saturday 20th September that challenges our obsession with the “new”. Join Camden’s makers, artists & designers for hands-on workshops, upcycling, talks, pop-up cinema and panel discussions.

-, 1874

Nested within a a Victorian context, this new-build house is a green oasis and a calm retreat which maximises sun exposure and connection with nature, while being entirely contextual to the site. Architect Mark Shaw, founding director of Studioshaw, embarked on building his own home after a chance discovery of a disused MOT garage in Walthamstow, East London.

studioshaw, 2023

Built in 1932 by architects Bradshaw Gass & Hope . This iconic Grade II listed venue is a unique blend of architectural elements including Art Deco, Tudor and Gothic Revival. The theatre was planned by Lewisham Metropolitan Council in the 1920s, to be an auditoria for “a variety of Civic, Social and Dramatic purposes”. It is a much loved community asset, join us for a full tour.

Bradshaw, Gass & Hope, 1932

11 Orleston Mews was designed by Caruso St John Architects in 1987.

Caruso St John Architects, 1987

Common Land has a long and rich tradition of bringing people together in the public realm, and this tradition continues today in the north-eastern corner of Hackney. This guided walking tour around Clapton Common, historic common land in Stamford Hill, will be led by some of the architects and community builders who have recently delivered new social infrastructure to serve a mixed community.

Artefact, 2023

Set within newly created parkland, the project delivers 157 high-quality homes across five pavilion buildings for Croydon Council’s former development vehicle Brick By Brick. Designed with accessibility, landscape and materiality in mind, the scheme is now managed by Nara Living and balances historic context with modern housing needs.

Ruff Architects, 2023

Rabbits Road Press is a colourful and welcoming community-focussed Risograph studio in Manor Park providing affordable print education and an alternative art space for all. Based in Old Manor Park Library, a beautiful grade II listed Carnegie library, visitors are welcome to tour the Risograph studio and take part in a recycled Riso activity.

Andrew Carnegie, 1904

Join us at Olympia as we open our doors for the first—and only—time to give the public a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at London's most ambitious transformation. Discover how this iconic landmark is becoming a brand new culture and entertainment destination, as our tour will showcase visitors what's to come.

Heatherwick Studio, 2020

This Victorian church designed by Blomfield will be open for a tour of its remarkable set of stained glass windows by Margaret Chilton.

Sir Arthur Blomfield, 1887

Tours of the Sadler's Wells theatre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Sadler's Wells East.

O'Donnell + Tuomey, 2025

Ever wondered what the Greenford Quay development looks like from inside? Take a tour with us across our three buildings, see views across Greenford that will be not have been seen by many local people and discover more about our green initiatives and design.

HTA Design, 2019

Wembury Mews was designed by Russell Jones in 2020.

Russell Jones, 2020

Situated in the heart of Covent Garden, Space House is one of London’s most architecturally significant and environmentally advanced commercial buildings. Originally designed by George Marsh and Richard Seifert in 1968, the Grade II listed building has undergone a transformative restoration—delivering a net zero carbon, experiential workplace designed to foster innovation, wellbeing and community.

Richard Seifert & Partners, 1968

Join a guided walk through the former site of Loddiges Nursery to learn how their tropical plant trading transformed English gardens during the 1800’s. While visiting the now buried Palm House, we will hear of the migration stories of the plants themselves - how their ancestors were captured from wilderness homes across the world and transported by ship to this infamous nursery in East London.

Join bestselling author, guide and Open City Golden Key Academy alumnus, Jack Chesher, for an intimate walking tour exploring Aldwych to Bank

William Waldorf Astor, 1895

Discover the lives of London’s women in the Middle Ages through plague and mysticism to early entrepreneurialism. Visit the site of an anchorite chapel and discover what led such women to turn their backs on the world for a life of solitude and prayer. And witness the final resting-place of the so - called Winchester Geese , medieval sex workers who lived and died beyond the City walls.

A walk through this leafy corner of Islington that explores its rich history and varied communities, from dissenting academies to missionary training schools, radical drinking clubs to synagogues – and asks why some historical sites are commemorated and remembered, and others are neglected and forgotten.

Discover the fascinating stories and characters behind this iconic district and gain a whole new perspective on London’s Chinatown! Our trained volunteer History Champions can’t wait to take you on a journey through this area’s complex, nuanced and fascinating evolution. Places are funded by Westminster City Council to allow Open House festival goers to enjoy the tour for free.

Join the Elevate Youth Board as they share the stories behind east London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - where community and youth empowerment drive its regeneration. Explore the Park’s cultural spaces, knowledge hub, and co-designed areas that reflect local voices, and leave with your own connection to the Park.

Join artist Matt Ponting for a creative journey through Poplar where vibrant murals, bustling markets and hidden stories bring this fascinating and fast-evolving neighbourhood in Tower Hamlets to life.

In 1949, American actor Sam Wanamaker came looking for Shakespeare in London and could not find much, so decided to re-build the Globe Theatre. Join Lisa who holds a MA in Shakespeare Studies from the Globe Theatre and King's College London and walk in steps of Shakespeare -- and Wanamaker nearly 400 years later.

The project is a long-term vision for the remarkable heritage area of Tin Pan Alley, including sensitive historic building repairs and a series of contemporary interventions. Located within Camden’s Denmark Street Conservation Area, the buildings span 400 years of local history and include: five Grade II and II* listed 17th Century townhouses, a mansion block and three historic warehouses.

Ian Chalk Architects, 2023

Hale Wharf occupies a sliver of land where the urban intensity of Tottenham Hale meets the reservoirs and rivers of the Lee Valley, designated green belt and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 505 new homes of a mix of size and tenure occupy a range of building typologies that make the most of this unique location. A guided tour will take you through the story of this new neighbourhood.

Allies and Morrison, 2024

Join us for the Creative Corners of Wood Green tour, a journey through the vibrant creative industries of Wood Green. This tour offers a unique opportunity to visit Wood Green’s creative workspaces including ceramics, music, visual arts, and design studios

Jan Kattein Architects, 2017

The leafy Georgian streets of Bloomsbury were shaken up in the 1930s by a new wave of development, from great academic institutions to speculative flats for modern urban living, plus probably the most stylish car showroom in London. We'll explore the range of 1930s architectural styles used in some famous and not so famous buildings, and even take a peek inside where we can.

English National Ballet bring world-class dance to the widest possible audience, and invite you into their home, the Mulryan Centre for Dance. Book a free tour to go behind the scenes, attend an Rehearsal Insights Session, see professional dancers take class and get up close to some beautiful ballet costumes created by our wardrobe department.

Howells, 2018

Sir Christopher Wren's riverside masterpiece in Greenwich, built as the Royal Hospital for Seamen and begun in 1696 on the site of the Tudor Greenwich Palace. Occupied by the Royal Naval College from 1869 to 1998, it is now a premier historic, cultural and educational destination in the heart of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sir Christopher Wren, 1696

Bradbury Studios is the newly refurbished, accessible home of the UK's flagship disabled-led theatre company, Graeae.

This special occasion marks Somerset House's transformation from government offices to an internationally acclaimed cultural hub, inviting visitors to explore rarely seen spaces and engage with our vibrant creative community.

Sir William Chambers, 1775

The City's seat of municipal government since 12C. Grade I listed, rare example of medieval civic architecture. Historic banqueting hall and a site of major moments in British history that is still used today.

John Croxton, 1440

An important example of 1960s comprehensive school design in the Brutalist style. Acland Burghley has recently received significant support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for its ambitious ‘A Hall for All’ project; and in 2020 welcomed in a resident orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in a collaborative partnership which is a UK-first.

Howell, Killick, Partridge & Amis Architects, 1966