Open House London 2013

Having worked a long day on Saturday I made it out a little later than planned.  I had intended to go and see Battersea Power Station having seen a presentation about the redevelopment of the Battersea Nine Elms/ Nine Elms and Vauxhall Development /Nine Elms on the South Bank, or whichever name it decides to go by on Thursday.  I was also keen to see the photography display there.  But I heard that it was closed to new visitors by midday due to mile long queues, and having already been inside for a lavish launch party last year hastily assembled a list of other places to see through a quick look at Londonist and twitter.

I headed over the hill to the William Booth College opposite the Denmark Hill station, but discovered that that was only open on Saturday.  So I rode up towards the south bank (stopping off at the cop shop to have my bike registered) and aimed to go and see Neo Bankside.  Again however, they were only open on Saturday.  Having now looked at the website and discovering that the last few apartments are still available from £1.25m, maybe it's just as well I didn't get to see them seeing that my bugbear this week, and recently is the state of housing availability and affordability.




So I went round and over the millennium bridge, and found myself at Guildhall to get some info.  Had a quick coffee and unavoidable conversation about cycling in London vs cycling in Wellington.  While perusing the Open House information I found out that there was an Alleyways of the City tour departing almost immediately.  

I don't recall the exact route now, but was a fascinating tour of the city.  Covering a lot of the importance of the Guilds and various industries over the years.  Recurring theme of destruction and rebuilding, often largely due to the Great Fire or Blitz.  The displacement of peoples or industries, largely due to greed and power, and essentially the control of capital and influence.  So nothing really changes.  Though lots of this is re-covering things I may have learnt, or at least heard of before, hearing the story of the streets and the city while walking through the City of London really made a big impression on me.  

I have little business in the city, so tend to be bombing through on my bike, getting disorientated around one lane or another, until I see a signpost, landmark or road that I recognise, and continue my journey through, and generally onwards.  but this walk purposefully took us through the still existing medieval alleys and passages.  Probably the biggest impression for me of this was taking me back to the 'Designing Places' module in the first year of my planning degree.  Partly an 'Urban Design 101' I recall a series of slides showing how great places reveal themselves from different angles.  Through the City of London you will walk through a cramped alleyway, and as you emerge form a Tudor or Elizabethan scene, be presented with the stark skyscrapers of the new City, emerging daily now with the collection of variously monikered buildings which grab glimpses along the way.  This is an effect that I've never experienced in any other city, certainly not with the degree of contrast and depth of history available in my home city, which I've explored so much less than the many cities and towns I've blasted through in comparatively short time spans.

So I've resolved myself to spending a little more time exploring the city by foot soon, before my days become too busy and the nights become too dark.

So the tour ended at Liverpool Street Station at around 3.20, I consulted the guide book to see where to go next.  I'd made a note earlier to try for 8 Stoneleigh Terrace which was brought to my attention on Londonist: "Those interested in the architecture of housing need to visit Stoneleigh Terrace in Archway".  The booklet which I had now got my hands on said that there was a final tour at 4pm.  With my handy new smart phone I worked out it was about 5 miles and made my way up.  With a home match at Highbury making the journey a little more colourful I made it to the location bang on time.  There was a fair crowd waiting outside and I loitered assessing the situation.  As people were being let into the flat I went and locked my bike up and just squeezed into the back of the room as Fabien(?) very generously accommodated what must have been around 50 or so people in his front room.  The dimensions of which can be figured out from this picture:

There's no urgent need for me to disseminate the whole project as details are better elsewhere, but as I understand it was a social housing project in the 60's with a certain amount of idealism and holistic thought that many developments lack, especially social housing.  The design and construction was compromised in a number of ways over the whole planned estate (economics, politics, the usual), but the result with the Highgate New Town stage one is delightful.  So many details of what is studied as 'good urban form' and good design and space in the dwellings.  Was excellent to have a walk around, see inside the flat and have the story told by someone who lives and understands the place, without going into the architectural theory and abstracts.  It was also nice to just walk around, the different angles and shapes, and the sound of children playing in the streets.

Riding back it was a shame not to have got into a few more buildings, seen one of the 'big ticket' items and a selection of smaller off the path ones, but with other commitments (such as work and sleep) it was a great impromptu day to give more inspiration about cities and places and housing, at the end of a week when I've been learning a lot.

Next year I may try and plan in advance a little more and really take advantage of the day.  Or maybe I wont, we'll see.  But for now, Cheers to Open House London 2013 and particularly the excellent guides I encountered.