For those of you who don't know about it: it's a festival of architecture and design run annually by a charitable organisation that talks owners into opening almost 1000 buildings inside the M25 to the public, most of which are normally closed. This includes everything from private homes to massive office blocks, Georgian gems to modern statements, grand homes to industrial complexes. A few blockbusters, like 10 Downing Street and the Shard, have very limited tickets awarded by lottery. Some other buildings require advance booking. But for most you just turn up, queue up and enjoy.
We loosely themed our sightseeing, with one track being all about Sir Christopher Wren and the other about government.
Saturday started at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, familiar backdrop to years of flower shows. Its actual function is as a military retirement home. It dates back to the reign of Charles II and therefore, unsurprisingly, was designed by the king's go-to-architect. It's a textbook Wren building, with its red brick, classical detailing and gracious rooflines. Inside, you get to see the chapel, the dining hall and and a magnificent state room (above). The chapel is particularly beautiful. White coffered barrel vault, dramatic fresco above the altar, wooden pews with typical 17th century carving and light pouring in through massive, arched, clear windows.
Over at Marlborough House, hidden in plain sight behind walls and trees just off Pall Mall, Wren downshifted to domestic architecture. On a grand scale, however, as he was building for the Dukes of Marlborough. The house is one of my favourite secret treasures in London, full of pleasing proportions, warm paneling, dramatic murals, sinuous wrought iron, and all the other touches that make a Wren house. For more, read about my last visit.
We then popped our head into the Queen's Chapel at St. James' Palace. I have wanted to get in here for years (it's normally only open to the public for Sunday services, which I've never made) and it was the highlight of my weekend. Inigo Jones designed it, but I include it in my Wren track as Jones was such an enormous influence on Wren. When you see the delicacy and brightness of the coffered barrel vault here, you know exactly where Wren got the roof of the chapel in Chelsea, and for so many of his other churches. The Queen's Chapel is an elegant, soothing little space with a fascinating history. First built for the Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria, it has a history of being the official hub of non-Anglican worship when the queen is from another religion. My half-Danish husband was proud to point out that it had been a Danish Reformed church in the time of Queen Alexandra (for whom one of his ancestors worked as a nanny). It's a wonderfully feminine space, with its blue and white colour scheme and nave bathed by cheerful sunlight from an enormous Venetian window above the altar.
Many of the most popular buildings in the Open House are government offices, perennial favourites including Horse Guards (Army HQ) and the Foreign Office HQ. I'd visited these last time around, but that was pre-husband, so I had to return. The Foreign Office, in particular, is magnificent enough to deserve repeat attention. This time I was most struck by the politically incorrect scenes of colonial domination that are carved into the walls. It used to be the Indian Office, after all. Good thing the people who want the statue of Cecil Rhodes to come down at Oxford haven't turned their eyes on this building. They wouldn't know where to start. (I'd suggest the bas relief of the sultan and his wives grovelling in supplication to the god-like English as he offers up his country to their management.) Over at Horse Guards, they've opened up the basement cockpit where the boys used to get up to illicit gambling and drinking in the 18th century. Little modernised or enhanced, it's a brilliant time capsule.
We also popped in to the Argentine Embassy. For an architecture geek, it's worth visiting simply to
get a sense of what life was like in all those grand houses in Belgravia. This one is on a corner of Belgrave Square, with sweeping views, gracious proportions and heaps of elegance. Beyond its refined architectural bones, however, the interior decoration isn't anything special. So the Argentines use their Open House slot to promote young Argentine artists. This was great fun, with work ranging from beautiful to thought provoking to fun but somewhat pointless. Was the netted soccer court in the ballroom really art? I liked the guy standing on the balcony, using a string to operate a swing outside with "power" carved onto the seat in English and Spanish. "Look!" he proclaimed. "I am pulling the strings of government, hidden, yet in control!" A bit heavy handed on the metaphor, granted, but as interactive art went I enjoyed it.
There was more on my list, including an old Admiralty dining room tucked in to another office behind Whitehall, but we ran out of time. Maybe next year. Or in another seven...
Over at Marlborough House, hidden in plain sight behind walls and trees just off Pall Mall, Wren downshifted to domestic architecture. On a grand scale, however, as he was building for the Dukes of Marlborough. The house is one of my favourite secret treasures in London, full of pleasing proportions, warm paneling, dramatic murals, sinuous wrought iron, and all the other touches that make a Wren house. For more, read about my last visit.
Many of the most popular buildings in the Open House are government offices, perennial favourites including Horse Guards (Army HQ) and the Foreign Office HQ. I'd visited these last time around, but that was pre-husband, so I had to return. The Foreign Office, in particular, is magnificent enough to deserve repeat attention. This time I was most struck by the politically incorrect scenes of colonial domination that are carved into the walls. It used to be the Indian Office, after all. Good thing the people who want the statue of Cecil Rhodes to come down at Oxford haven't turned their eyes on this building. They wouldn't know where to start. (I'd suggest the bas relief of the sultan and his wives grovelling in supplication to the god-like English as he offers up his country to their management.) Over at Horse Guards, they've opened up the basement cockpit where the boys used to get up to illicit gambling and drinking in the 18th century. Little modernised or enhanced, it's a brilliant time capsule.
We also popped in to the Argentine Embassy. For an architecture geek, it's worth visiting simply to
There was more on my list, including an old Admiralty dining room tucked in to another office behind Whitehall, but we ran out of time. Maybe next year. Or in another seven...
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