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Open House London, 19 and 20 September, 2009

Have the booklet now so have been able to spend some time browsing through all the buildings that are on offer. Were time and distance no object (have realised that I have to be in Manchester for a meeting on the Saturday, grrrr) the places I would like to see the most would be:

79 Stoneleigh Terrace, Camden (described as "light-filled 1970's Brutalist terraced house") and 8 Stoneleigh Terrace, Camden (built by an architect who studied with Goldfinger).

Royal College of Physicans, Camden (Open House booklet says: Dramatic interior spaces and white mosaic exterior elevated on piloti. Grade I listed and one of London's most important post-war buildings).
3220004998_66ddf560fb.jpg


No.1 Croydon (formerly NLA Tower), Croydon.

Langham House Close Flats, Richmond (already mentioned by Lang Rabbie, above. Described as "a landmark in Brutalism").

The Pioneer Health Centre, Southwark (Open House booklet says: Grade II listed Modernist building, described by Walter Gropius as "an oasis of glass in a desert of brick"). http://www.thephf.org/building.html

Definitely won't get to do all of those in one day but will try to do as many as I can on the Sunday.

Very troubled by the overuse of the words 'iconic' and 'aspirational' in the Open House booklet :(
 
Love this. I went last year For the first time to open weekend. I learnt to concentrate on one area... As always the tube or buses seems to be closed or diverted. It appeals to the voyeur in me as I went to a Thai temple, roof top gardens, a national trust house, 25th floor goldfinger council flat.... Amongst others.

I plan to concentrate mainly on NE London this year methinks! But there is serious lack of bold mid century buildings nearby.
 
I enjoyed it when I went the other year but always seem to be doing stuff on that weekend :(

I've got the saturday free this time, someone suggest stuff for me to go to, cos last time i looked on the site it was all done by address and I wasn't really sure where to go. Maybe I'll just stay local....:hmm:
 
zenie said:
I enjoyed it when I went the other year but always seem to be doing stuff on that weekend :(

I've got the saturday free this time, someone suggest stuff for me to go to, cos last time i looked on the site it was all done by address and I wasn't really sure where to go. Maybe I'll just stay local....:hmm:
Click to expand...

See post No.62 ;)
 
zenie said:
I enjoyed it when I went the other year but always seem to be doing stuff on that weekend :(

I've got the saturday free this time, someone suggest stuff for me to go to, cos last time i looked on the site it was all done by address and I wasn't really sure where to go. Maybe I'll just stay local....:hmm:
Click to expand...

Come meet me for lunch on Friday and we can go to Samuel Johnson's house... no idea if it's any good, but it's free :)
 
It's next weekend!!!

Anyone up for coming and seeing a few of buildings on my wish-list above?
 
brix said:
Excellent :cool: Anyone else up for this?
Click to expand...

Well don't all rush at once! :mad:

Young Pip, you were up for this weren't you?

Maggot I can only do the Sunday; is that OK with you? I wouldn't mind seeing the NLA building either early or late in the day, so that I can fit in one or two others (am slightly obsessed by the Royal College of Physicians building at the moment :o). The NLA building is open 9am-5pm so I was going to suggest going either around 10am or 4pm?
 
Oh no, that's a shame Maggot :(

Not a shame that you're going on Hollis' walk obv, but you know what I mean.

And it's not as if the other urbs are queueing up to come with me. Tell 'em Maggot, tell them that you've met me and I was (relatively) normal. :D
 
quimcunx said:
Even when you do a search for something you know is on there it can't find it.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I found that too. And thoughyou could try and whittle down ideas of what to see using the categories I found that rather confusing too.

It just isn't very user friendly at all.
 
utterly dreadful website

the best bit is when you try filling in the journey planner on the site page. Not only doesn't the TfL site know where you're trying to go- which, surely, is the point of the link- but it also wants to plan your journey for 15th November 2008. Brilliant.
 
I'm exhausted from just looking through the listings booklet. I think I'll just have a walk around the City and if I see a smallish queue, join it. The places I'm most interested in require pre-booking and they tend to get snapped up by anoraks almost immediately.
 
I'm off to the Hindu temple in Neasden this afternoon. And I'm going to meet Brix tomorrow for a schedule as yet decided upon.
 
hermitage_415x275.jpg


We were here this afternoon, it was lovely, they are all moored near Wapping, went on one boat, the hans, owned by a couple who spent a fortune doing it up, they bought it shortly after it was retired from service, it was a sea-going barge, which used to ply it's trade around Norway. They are planning on sailing it over to norway to visit the port it sailed out of :cool:

I had huge boat envy:D
 
Can recommend the Markfield Beam Engine, newly restored and working, opened today for the first time.

But then I quite like Victorian sewage pumps...
 
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