Open House weekend's always a big date at Londonist HQ. Who'd miss the chance to snoop around behind the scenes at some of London's most historic, most beautiful, and often off-limits properties.
This year, though there's still a programme of on-site, IRL tours as usual — with some changes and reductions in ticket numbers in order to allow social distancing — there's also a brilliant new line-up of virtual tours, launching on the Open House Films website this weekend.
All are completely free to access, and offer a through-the-keyhole look at a mix of London's most famous buildings and lesser-known beauties.
There are 30 films to choose from — offering the same option of an enormous architecture marathon as you'd get from, in normal times, a packed weekend of bouncing around on-site Open House tours.
But if you want to dip your toes in rather than binge for days, we've narrowed it down to five of our favourites.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Neasden
Phoenix Community Garden - Covent Garden
Siobhan Davies Dance Studio - Southwark
Tooting Bec Lido - Tooting Bec
Glenkerry House - Poplar
Open House Films launches this weekend, with an entirely free set of virtual tours around some of London's most amazing buildings, venues and gardens.
