News story

Open House London weekend 2014

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be throwing open its doors as part of the Open House London architectural festival this weekend.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• Published: 16 September 2014
• Last updated: 18 September 2014 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Grand Staircase

Every year, the FCO on King Charles Street, London, welcomes thousands of visitors during the Open House Weekend to hear about the formation of the office, the historic Fine rooms, the impressive architecture and the symbolic importance of this building in Britain’s past.

Visitors will also have a chance to meet FCO staff and to hear about life in the FCO today.

Visitors are welcome to come to the FCO between 10.00 and 17.00 (last entry 16.30) on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September.

Philip Hammond welcomes visitors to the Foreign Office for Open House weekend

Download our audio tour via RSS or iTunes before you come to hear details of the architecture and history as you walk through the magnificent FCO.

To include your photos in our Instagram Open House group, add #FCOopenhouse to your caption or tag us in the picture using ukforeignoffice.

The FCO Historians will be tweeting interesting facts throughout the day, so follow them on twitter FCOHistorians.

This year our network of Embassies and High Commissions are also virtually taking part in Open House London weekend. Over the course of the weekend they will be posting photos of their buildings onto Twitter and Instagram using #FCOopenhouse. Unfortunately, they will not be physically open as part of Open House.

Open House London, an Open-City initiative, celebrates all that is best about the capital’s buildings, places and neighbourhoods.

Every September, it gives a unique opportunity to get out and under the skin of London’s amazing architecture, with over 700 buildings of all kinds opening their doors to everyone - all for free.

Further information

Open House London 2014

Read a brief history of the FCO building

History of Government blog post on Locarno Suite, one of the FCO’s Fine Rooms

Follow the Foreign Office on twitter @foreignoffice

Follow the Foreign Office on facebook and Google+

Media enquiries

For journalists

Email newsdesk@fco.gov.uk

Published 16 September 2014
Last updated 18 September 2014 + show all updates

1. 18 September 2014

   Added video

2. 16 September 2014

   First published.