Open House 2020 Report
Introduction
London’s Open House Festival evolved and expanded in 2020 into a 10 day celebration with a combination of in-person, online and at home events taking place. There was something for everyone, whether they were able to get out and about or needed to stay home.
Covid-19 presented a series of challenges which our event organisers, volunteers and sponsors all helped us to conquer, creating a truly unique festival to celebrate the power that makes up London. People, architecture, public space, wide pavements and cycle lanes have never been so important.
Sian Milliner, Head of Open House 2020
Top Open House Collections
Open House Highlights
Highlights from the 2020 programme include some buildings that were open for visitors to enjoy, plus some that were running online events that you could enjoy from home. This collection was created by the Open House team to include a variety of events that would be able to be enjoyed no matter your current Covid19 confinements.
Radical Housing
Covid-19 has confined many Londoners to claustrophobic flats with no outdoor space. Yet for others, the struggle of life under lockdown has been softened by well-designed, generous and sometimes ingenious housing. This Open House festival, we will celebrate outstanding housing architecture which has helped many stay comfortable and convivial during the stress of the pandemic.
Self-Guided Itineraries
In 2020, the Open House team and core volunteers created a series of self-guided walks and cycling tours which visitors could do as part of their festival experience, but would also be available all year round to be enjoyed in the winter months and new year for those who were unable to get out during the festival. The idea of the self-guided tours was to allow visitors to explore their local area and learn a little more about the things they see everyday.
Colonial Histories
All buildings tell stories. Stories about the values and aspirations of the societies which created them are etched into the facades of our streets. Yet some stories are harder to read than others. Hidden beneath the surface of many buildings in London are incredible and sometimes bitter stories of Britain's colonial history. For Open House 2020, we're embarking on a long term project to tease out and reveal the hidden colonial histories of the architecture we celebrate in the festival.
Top Viewed Event Listings
Marylebone Village Tour
A guided walking tour of Marylebone created in conjunction with the Howard de Walden Estate.
4,222 online views
Foster + Partners Self-Guided Walk
A self-guided walking tour, starting in Hackney taking in a variety of Foster + Partners buildings, from the Gherkin to Millennium Bridge, ending at City Hall.
3017 views
Barbican Centre
A world-class arts, learning and conference centre set in the Grade II listed Barbican Estate – one of London’s best examples of Brutalist architecture. Part of the Radical Housing Collection.
2673 views
HM Treasury
A quadrangular, English Baroque revival building. Grade II* listed government office covering the entire complex, Great George Street constructed 1899-17 in two phases. Available as a model to purchase from the Open City shop.
2617 views
Continue reading the 2020 Report
Audience Survey*
*Covid-19 made it harder to collect audience data than in previous years as we had to rely more heavily on post-event online surveys.