Open House Weekend

Before we got into the swing of the London Design Festival, we took a small detour via the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington which was open as part of Open House weekend.

Designed in the austerity years following WWII, many of the materials used in the building were donated by Commonwealth countries, including the copper for the spectacular hyperbolic parabaloid roof.  

Mothballed for over a decade, this incredible building is due to re-open as the new home of the Design Museum in 2014. This was the last time the public would see the building in this format. When it re-opens the interior will have been drastically altered by the master of minimalism, John Pawson, to provide extensive exhibition space for the museum, allowing them to properly display their permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions. We weren’t about to miss this final opportunity for a snoop around. Below is a selection of photos, paying particular attention to that roof.