The big festival of architecture is back, with hundreds of buildings to explore, some of which must be booked.
Every year, Open House London throws open the doors to hundreds of buildings across the city, many of which are usually difficult to visit.
This year's programme has now been announced, including the usual diverse mix of modern offices, livery halls, skyscrapers, churches, and other motley edifices.
In fact, so many building take part that it can be hard to plan your day(s). A good place to start is the Open House map, which shows all the buildings across the 32 boroughs and the City.
As you'll see, many are listed as 'drop in', which means you can just turn up and look around (though you may have to queue for more popular sites). The festival also includes quite a few sites that must be booked in advance. We had intended to list out some good options but, within 10 minutes of the site going live, everything we found was already fully booked! The Reform Club had 20 guided tours listed... all places taken 12 minutes into the scramble...
Still plenty of drop-ins to look forward to, though.
In addition, some of the hottest tickets can only be gained through ballot. 10 Downing Street, the BT Tower, BBC Broadcasting House, the new London Museum site at Smithfield, the John Morden Centre in Blackheath and the Trellick Tower are on this year's ballot list.
Open House London runs 14-22 September 2024. Entry to all venues and walks is free, but some need booking.
