UPWARDS of 700 buildings will swing wide their doors this weekend as part of the annual Open House London event.
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Some of these buildings, like City Hall, are well-known places, many have distinctive architectural merit and most are usually closed to the public, all of which goes to make Open House one of the highlights of the London sightseeing calendar.
Among this year’s notable offerings is a hat-tip to London’s civil engineers, with events planned at the Thames Barrier, on the East London Line, at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum and on special Thames boat tours, among many others.
“Open House provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase to the wider public the vital role that engineers play in enhancing quality of life and prosperity in the capital,” said Miranda Housden, of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
As well as the buildings themselves, there are loads of talks, walks and other special events. Some of these require pre-booking, but the good news is that it’s all free.
Possibly the most well-known of the special events is the Night Hike, which takes place on Friday (16 September) and involves 2,000 volunteers traipsing through famous landmarks like the Royal Festival Hall, all in aid of the Maggie’s cancer charity
