London Festival of Architecture: Building Leighton House

About the tour

Join Senior Curator, Daniel Robbins, for a fascinating tour of Leighton House. As part of the programme of the London Festival of Architecture (1-30 June)

Over more than thirty years, artist Frederic Leighton worked closely with architect George Aitchison to design a home that was both a working studio and a dramatic setting for art. Aitchison - President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1896-1910) - created in Leighton House his most significant surviving work. At the heart of the house, lies the spectacular Arab Hall, designed to showcase Leighton's collection of tiles from Turkey, Syria and Iran.

The tour also includes a visit to the exhibition, The Arab Hall: Past and Present, where Aitchison's original presentation drawings reveal how this extraordinary interior was first conceived. Presented to mark 100 years since the house opened as a museum, this multidisciplinary exhibition explores the history, design and enduring fascination of one of Victorian's London's most remarkable interiors.

Useful Information

• Group gather in the reception area of the museum, for a start time of 1pm.
• The tour includes access to the historic house and exhibition galleries.

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