A Chance To Take a Close Look at Hammersmith Library


One of the local buildings participating in Open House Weekend

An archive photo of Hammersmith Library
An archive photo of Hammersmith Library

A number of architectural treasures in the local area will be offering rare access to the public over the Open House Festival London weekend this September including Hammersmith Library.

The interior of the library with its famous stained glass windows can be admired from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 4 September and it’s possible to take self-guided tours of the Grade ll-listed building in Shepherd’s Bush Road.

Funded by Andrew Carnegie and designed by Henry Hare, the library opened in 1905 to make reading accessible to everyone.

There are sculptures of Shakespeare and Milton by Frederick Schenk, while the stained glass in the upstairs archive room (accessible by marble staircase or lift) features literary figures including Chaucer, Spenser and Bacon. The cost of the windows was met by local councillors.

A bookcase in Hammersmith Library
A bookcase in Hammersmith Library

On the ground floor, there’s also the Bennett Window with painted glass from the 16th-17th centuries that came from Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham.

At the top of the stairs is a portrait of the benefactor Carnegie.

For more details, visit the Hammersmith Library listing on the Open House London website.

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August 27, 2021