In London over the past weekend there have been hundreds of buildings and spaces open which aren’t normally accessible to the public. London Open House takes place every year and 2009 was my first. Some of the most popular locations such as the Bank of England had lengthy queues for guided tours. I decided to stay away from the crowds and head for some of the quieter but more insightful locations. I visited an Islington architect’s combined office/residential development and had architectural tours of Talkback Thames in Westminster and Peter Jones department store in Kensington & Chelsea.