The College of Optometrists

On Sunday September 21st the doors of the College of Optometrists will be open to the public as part of the annual London Open House weekend. This is a rare opportunity for most practitioners to observe the headquarters of optometry’s professional and examining body, including some of the exhibits of the British Optical Association Museum that adorn its walls. Open between 1pm and 5pm, the College will be just one of over 500 buildings across the capital giving Londoners and visitors the chance to peer inside, as most of these buildings are normally closed to the public.

The College is privileged to occupy a Grade II listed structure; it is, in fact, two terraced houses - one old (circa 1730) and one rebuilt in the 1980s. The combination of the two, plus an unusually shaped rear extension is of great interest to architectural students. The College moved to Craven Street from Earls Court in 1997 and in March this year took possession of the entire building.

On Open House Day visitors will be able to see the Council Room with its unusually shaped curving wall, which accommodates the old Hungerford Lane, now the access road to Charing Cross railway station. Also on view will be the Panelled Room and the Print Room which hosts a spectacular wall of floor-to-ceiling prints drawn from the College collections of over 500 antique prints on ophthalmic and optical themes. One of the picture frames is even wearing spectacles.

The event is also an opportunity for the College to tell the public about the changes planned for the building including the provision of display space for the BOA Museum.