A Diverse Programme at the RCI for Open House Festival

Marking 13 years since our first participation in Open House London, a city-wide celebration of the British capital's architecture and special places, we invite old friends and new visitors to explore a diverse palette of offerings from painting to photography, film, guided talks and history. This year, we decided to extend our presence in the festival and open our doors to the public for five consecutive days, 18-22 September, between 11am - 4pm. No booking is necessary. 

As you approach our building, you will be greeted by an outdoor exhibition presenting Romania's award-winning 'road that unites', Via Transilvanica. Stepping inside, two distinct exhibitions are waiting to be discovered on the ground floor: the history of the grade-listed 1 Belgrave Square building, presented in the lobby and Bogdan Mihai Radu's painting exhibition 'Inner Landscapes', hosted by the Brâncuși Gallery. In our grand Enescu Room situated on the first floor, the documentary film Terra Banatica (Via Transilvanica: The Road Ahead) will be presented in London for the first time, and one of the project's founders, Alin Ușeriu, will offer guided talks on Saturday. 

RCI London's participation in the 2024 edition of the Open House Festival is organised in partnership with Via Transilvanica. 

Via Transilvanica, the "road that unites", is a 1,400-kilometer-long distance trail, a tourist route that crosses idyllic Romanian landscapes from the North-Eastern monastery of Putna to the Danube town of Drobeta Turnu Severin. Started in 2018 and designed for hiking, cycling and horse riding, the trail unites ten counties and around 400 communities, with their ethnic, cultural, historical and geographical diversity, while showcasing 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The road crosses communities that were on the verge of extinction and are now given the possibility of economic development through tourism. The project was made possible through the work of 10,000 volunteers and it took four years to set up the trail. More recently, the trail united supporters who voted to make it the winner of the 2023 Europa Nostra Public Choice Award, with a record number of votes. Via Transilvanica was also one of the winners in the Citizens’ Engagement & Awareness-raising category of the Europa Nostra Awards, having impressed the jury with its role “as a vital connection between the community and diverse facets of heritage.” 

Bogdan Mihai Radu's exhibition showcases 20 impressive works inspired by nature and filtered by the artist' s perceptions and feelings. These subjective landscapes project dramatic effects that the viewer takes in, immediately being transported to alternative realms. Bogdan Mihai Radu painted these works in three different moments of this artistic development. Some of them are idyllic pastoral landscapes from Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains. Others were inspired by the artist' s love for irises and wildflowers. The remaining ones are inspired by British landscapes. The artist sees his works as dense multi-layered creations of palette, textures and themes.

Built in the 1820s by Thomas Cubitt, Belgravia is one of the most beautiful areas of Central London. Our house has a rich history, and it was acquired by the Romanian government before WWII, functioning as an embassy, ambassadorial residence or cultural institute ever since. Grade I listed by the English Heritage for its exceptional architecture, the building’s elegant halls, old furniture and paintings by great Romanian artists have been of great interest for tourists and for those who want to learn more about the insights of the British capital’s architecture.