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30 St Mary Axe, City of London (c) Grant Smith/VIEW Pictures[/caption]
On the 22nd and 23rd September there was a great event called Open House London Weekend. This was an architectural exhibition allowing entry to the public to a number of interesting buildings including Churches, cultural heritage sites as well as some of the more contemporary designs. Public spaces were also included in the list of sites to see with special events going on throughout the capital.
There were over 800 buildings which opened their doors to the public allowing free entry to some of the most inspirational architectural designs. This was a fantastic opportunity to find out more about many of our most treasured cultural sites. Whether you are looking for inspiration as part of your search for a new door or you just like to see some amazing architecture then this sounds like a great day out.
One of the most famous buildings to open its doors was Battersea Power Station. The power station was decommissioned in 1983 and this was only the second time it has opened its doors since then. Renovation works begin shortly to create a multi-purpose building including over 600 apartments. Many of the sites offered personal tours giving visitors a real insight into the history of the buildings. One of Europe's most famous doorways was included in the list - 10 Downing Street, which was open over the weekend.
In addition to many interesting buildings there was also free access to various resources including the Design Museum in Southwark, originally founded by Sir Terence Conran and Stephen Bayley.
Unfortunately I was not able to attend the showcase myself however I can only imagine that it was a very popular and interesting event and I will look out to see if they organise a repeat of the event next year. Maybe we could gain some inspiration for door designs and I bet that there were lots of stunning timber doors to admire.
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Bunhill Heat and Power Centre (c) London Borough of Islington[/caption]
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Battersea Power Station, Wandsworth (c) Battersea Power Station[/caption]
