Being the inquisitive (read: nosey) character that I am, I sure do love having a peek behind the curtain into other people’s homes. And so the fact that one of London’s most spectacular gaffs is actively inviting people in to have a snoop around it comes as pretty great news to me. The house in question is The Cosmic House and – as its name might suggest – it’s truly out of this world. It’s a private home turned museum that opens to the public for just a small number of days a year. And here’s how you could be one of the lucky Londoners that snaps up one of the sought-after tickets.
The Cosmic House
One of just two Grade I listed post-modernist buildings in the UK; The Cosmic House is pretty darn special. It was built between 1978 and 1983 by husband-and-wife duo, Charles and Maggie Jencks in collaboration with Sir Terry Farrell (the brains behind the iconic MI6 building). Armed with a fascination with the human body and the universe; they designed the house and filled it with a whole host of quirks and curiosities.
From the front, the building looks like a relatively normal west London townhouse, but the very moment you step inside, you realise that it’s anything but. From the front door and the floor to the fixtures and the furniture, every nook and cranny of the house is intended to provoke thought and feeling. And the Jencks’s eccentric personalities are weaved throughout the space, with character, creativity, and conviviality filling each room. A landmark in the world of post-modernist architecture, the house was certainly ahead of its time, and to this very day, it still manages to seamlessly blend old and new, contemporary and classic, and high-art and kitsch.
Charles lived in The Cosmic House until he passed away in 2019, but he’d already decided the house’s fate of becoming a museum (which it did in 2021). The picture-perfect pad is bursting at the seams with intriguing things to gawp at. There’s the plethora of house-shaped bookshelves, the stunning Sundial Arcade, the ‘Dome of Water’ jacuzzi, and the calendar-inspired spiral staircase (just to name a few). This April, The Cosmic House will also host an art installation by British artist, Isaac Julian.
Visiting The Cosmic House
From April 22, The Cosmic House will be open to the public from 12.30pm-4.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Its residential location restricts the number of people that are allowed to visit, meaning that tickets get snapped up very fast. Tickets are released at 12pm on the third Friday of each month for visits taking place the following month. Under 12’s are not permitted and high heels are also prohibited inside the house.
You’ll find The Cosmic House at 19 Lansdowne Walk, W11 3AH, and the nearest station is Holland Park. Find out more and plan your visit here.
