As London gears up for the Open House Festival this weekend, we at Garudio Studiage are spotlighting some of our architecture-inspired products. For those unfamiliar, Open House is a citywide festival that celebrates London’s rich architectural heritage by offering the public access to buildings that are normally off-limits. It’s a unique opportunity to explore the hidden gems and iconic structures that shape the city’s skyline.

Netto (later became Asda) on Rye Lane and Discount Decorating that later became John the Unicorn pub. Taken 2011 © Garudio Studiage

A Nation of ShopKeepers

Our love for architecture is woven into several of our projects and products. One of our most memorable commissions dates back to 2011, when we collaborated with Peckham Platform to create an exhibition titled A Nation of Shopkeepers. This project involved painstakingly drawing every single building along Peckham’s Rye Lane, and then turning the gallery space into an interactive art experience by displaying these drawings (left enticingly blank) on the walls . Visitors were invited to colour and collage these outlines, transforming the walls into a vibrant, ever-evolving celebration of local architecture. While the exhibition is long gone, you can still purchase a colouring book featuring some of those iconic buildings from our shop—a perfect keepsake for architecture enthusiasts and Peckham fans alike!

We enjoyed looking back at the photos we took of Rye Lane, mostly back in 2010/2011, remembering some of the buildings as they were then, and seeing what has changed. Here are a few photos of our favourites, some long gone, such as Netto’s and the Post Office, and some that are still there but looking a bit different, such as everyone's favourite buy-everything-store Khan's Bargain.

HSBC bank and Rye Lane Post Office, both now gone. Photos taken 2011 © Garudio Studiage

Part of the line drawing we made of HSBC bank and along that terrace. © Garudio Studiage

Khan's bargain on Rye Lane 2011. The image is collaged so we could draw it head on. Photo ©Garudio Studiage

Outline drawing of Khans Bargain © Garudio Studiage

Greggs in it's original Rye Lane location before the London riots fire that destroyed it and neighbouring business in 2011. Ash Meat and Fish centre, now the very flash looking Market. All photos © Garudio Studiage

Architecture of the U.K. tea towel

In contrast to the architectural diversity of Rye Lane, our Architecture of the U.K. tea towel is a playful reflection on the ubiquity of bland, generic buildings that seem to dominate the U.K.’s architectural landscape today. These structures, while practical, contribute to a somewhat monotonous skyline, far removed from the characterful buildings of the past.

London Festival of Post_Brexit Architecture

Equally tongue-in-cheek is our London Festival of Post-Brexit Architecture collection. This design playfully critiques the inward-looking mindset and misplaced nostalgia of Brexit culture, imagining how this mentality might manifest in future architectural styles. While we’ve yet to see one of these hypothetical structures pop up in the London skyline, we won’t be surprised if it happens one day!

Spar Towns tea towel

And who could forget the iconic Spar shops? Spar shops were (are?) a staple for many teenagers growing up in small towns across the U.K., hoping someone would relent and purchase cigarettes or alcohol for you; they hold a place in the collective memory of a generation. Our Spar Towns tea towels celebrate this institution as it turns out they are even available in the ‘Towns of Water’, otherwise known as Spa Towns, and that is a bit of wordplay and subversion we could not resist….

Architecture themed tea towels on our shop

Flat Pack South London Gallery

Commissioned by South London Gallery to celebrate the opening of their new annexe at 82 Peckham Road, this 8 colour hand screen printed cardboard cut out of the new building was made exclusively for the South London Gallery shops.

London Belongs to you flat pack buildings for London Design Festival

This project explored the British obsession with property ownership, as well as looking at London's architectural and design landscape, past and present. Unique London houses, churches, pubs, and shops were selected for their contribution to the design landscape of London, and turned into hand screen printed cardboard cutouts to form two 'environments' in the windows of Volte Face (another sadly now defunct shop, on Great Ormond Street). Once again Khan's Bargain makes an appearance, as well as the Fryers Delight Chip Shop in Holborn!

South London Gallery and a selection of London Belongs to You screen printed flat packs.

Colour Inns of Camberwell

We have worked on several commissions with Camberwell Arts including The Lucky Dip Bag containing a colouring book of pubs in Camberwell and some appropriately labeled pencils to go with it for their 20th year celebrations. The Colouring book consisted of drawings of several pubs in Camberwell as they were then (2014), compared with what they were in 1994. Again lots of painstaking work drawing lots of pubs in Camberwell this time!

So, as you explore the architectural wonders of London this weekend, be sure to check out our collection of architecture-inspired designs. Whether you’re looking for a quirky gift, a slice of nostalgia, or just a bit of cheeky commentary on modern architecture, we’ve got something for you. Happy exploring!

Architecture inspired products and projects

Chris and Anna in Atelier Brighton open exhibition