Green plaques presented to ten of the capital’s best buildings marking their commitment to making London a more open city

PRESS RELEASE

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This week, ten of London’s most special buildings, landscapes and housing estates have been presented with ceramic plaques commemorating their historic contribution to making London a more open city.

The ten buildings, which include Hackney Town Hall, the Battersea offices of acclaimed architect Norman Foster, and the Ismali Centre in Kensington, have each been recognised for the key role they have played in making London a more open and equitable city. 

The ceramic green plaques, which have been created by Open City, organisers of London’s annual Open House Festival, have been hand-made and feature the year each building first opened its doors for public visits as part of the festival.

Ceremonies unveiling the green plaques have been taking place throughout London’s 2021 Open House Festival which runs from the 4th to the 12th of September. On Sunday the 5th of September, festival director Phineas Harper presented a green plaque to Walters Way, a self-built housing estate in lewisham whose residents have been opening up their street to visitors since 1995. At 2pm on Saturday the 11th of September, Open City will present a plaque to the residents of 8 Stoneleigh Terrace, part of the acclaimed Highgate New Town estate which have been opening their home to visitors since 2001.

Phineas Harper, director of Open House Festival said:

“Every year hundred of residents, architects and Londoners open up their buildings and homes to allow ordinary people to visit entirely for free as part of the annual Open House Festival. This important act of civic generosity can be life-changing; helping to expand minds and make London’s urban landscape more accessible and equitable. The ten Open House plaques have been presented to buildings which have made an invaluable contribution to London becoming a truly Open City.”

The full list of buildings which are receiving plaques is:

  • Walters Way, a self-built housing estate in Lewisham which has been part of the Open House Festival since 1995

  • Hackney Town Hall, which has been part of the Open House Festival since 1994

  • 8 Stoneleigh Terrace, part of the acclaimed Highgate New Town housing estate which has been part of the Open House Festival since 2001

  • Hampstead Garden Suburb where community groups have been part of the Open House Festival since 1995

  • Former home of artist, designer and craftsman Frank R. Dickinson, Little Holland House which has been part of the Open House Festival since 2006

  • Valence House in Barking and Dagenham which has been opening its doors for the festival since 2000

  • The Ismaili Centre in Kensington which has been part of the Open House Festival since 1996

  • Dalston Curve Garden, a remarkable landscape project in Hackney which has been opening up for the festival since it was created in 2011

  • The office of acclaimed architects Foster + Partners who typically open up a number of the buildings they have designed as part of the Open House Festival

  • The Van Gogh House, a private museum where Van Gogh once lived which is one of the newest contributors to the Open House Festival and first joined the festival in 2019

Images

Images of the plaques and of the presentation ceremonies are available here.

Notes

  • The 2021 Open House Festival will launch on Saturday 4 September and run for nine days until Sunday 12 September. 

  • Full listings for the 2021 Open House Festival are now live at www.openhouselondon.org.uk/2021

  • In order to facilitate contact tracing, visitors are required to book ahead for most events.

  • The vast majority of events that form part of the 2021 Open House Festival are free.

  • In a typical year the London Open House Festival attracts 250,000 visitors making it the largest and most inclusive event of its kind in the world.

  • There are 50 other Open House Festivals around the world including in New York City, Lagos, Taipei and Zurich which are supported by Open City, the charity behind the Open House Festival.

Contacts

Please contact press@open-city.org.uk with enquiries.

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