The Cosmic House

Very nice house to visit. Definitely worth a visit if you are into art/design/quiet beautiful places ;)

A great hidden gem in London. This post-modernist style house is really worth a visit. Highly recommended if you are passionate about art design.

Heard about this place from eavesdropping on some people on a train, googled it & booked a tour. 😄 I have a general interest in architecture/design & recommend a visit. A spectacular piece of history and afternoon well spent! Lots to learn about post modernism.

A Grade I listed post-modern architectural gem in the UK. Waiting six months for the ticket was well worth it, as this building holds the same Grade I status as Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral, a rare designation for less than 3% of UK buildings. The house, designed by Charles Jencks, masterfully blends humour, science, art, and innovation. However, the 1.5-hour self-guided tour felt rushed, and the addition of new contemporary art pieces, although admirable, somewhat diluted the focus. Charles designed the house to avoid 'overdesign,' and the added artworks could be overwhelming. This is purely my personal opinion. The 37-page guidebook was exhaustive and difficult to complete within the limited tour time. I'm keen on a guided tour for my next visit to fully appreciate the original design elements. In summary, the Cosmic House is a striking fusion of architecture and science-art. A revisit is already in my plans.

Such a wonderful little treasure. Tickets are limited and hard to come buy so snatch them up. You get a quick 10 min intro and then 80 mins to explore the house. There staff everywhere to ask questions, plus a very helpful booklet to take away with you. The building is so beautiful and such a unique experience. Will definitely visit again.

Cosmic House is post-modernism at its ugliest, messiest extreme. There’s a reason why post-modernism was a short-lived and unpopular architectural concept, and those reasons are all encapsulated within this home’s interior. Room after room of symbolism, novelty, and rather kitsch classical and architectural references exhaust your visual sense. Painted mdf is everywhere, there’s no integrity or honesty to the materials used, or the style in which it is implemented. And the links to cosmology are less astrophysics and veer toward new age symbolism. That the honesty and integrity of Brutalism and modernism were replaced by the overwhelming mess of post-modernism is a travesty made manifest in Cosmic House. Still, it is grade 1 listed, presumably to ensure that this pure post-modern interior remains in tact to warn the world of its pitfalls. However, the house is a good experience to visit - the overwhelming post-modernism has a lot to look at and examine and some elements work well (some of the details in the bathrooms are excellent and the staircase is outstanding). In terms of the success of the style it is worthy of just a couple of stars. As a successful museum to a failed architectural style being implemented as a piece of interior design, it deserves a third star.

Brilliant house and an excellent visitor experience. Small group and extremely knowledgeable stewards to answer questions and provide information on all aspects of the house. Highly recommended, tickets must be bought in advance

An absolute hidden gem. So much detail and love and skill had been put into that house. Quirky and different but all ties together beautifully. Could have happily stayed for hours.

Very nice house to visit. Definitely worth a visit if you are into art/design/quiet beautiful places ;)

A great hidden gem in London. This post-modernist style house is really worth a visit. Highly recommended if you are passionate about art design.

Heard about this place from eavesdropping on some people on a train, googled it & booked a tour. 😄 I have a general interest in architecture/design & recommend a visit. A spectacular piece of history and afternoon well spent! Lots to learn about post modernism.

A Grade I listed post-modern architectural gem in the UK. Waiting six months for the ticket was well worth it, as this building holds the same Grade I status as Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral, a rare designation for less than 3% of UK buildings. The house, designed by Charles Jencks, masterfully blends humour, science, art, and innovation. However, the 1.5-hour self-guided tour felt rushed, and the addition of new contemporary art pieces, although admirable, somewhat diluted the focus. Charles designed the house to avoid 'overdesign,' and the added artworks could be overwhelming. This is purely my personal opinion. The 37-page guidebook was exhaustive and difficult to complete within the limited tour time. I'm keen on a guided tour for my next visit to fully appreciate the original design elements. In summary, the Cosmic House is a striking fusion of architecture and science-art. A revisit is already in my plans.

Such a wonderful little treasure. Tickets are limited and hard to come buy so snatch them up. You get a quick 10 min intro and then 80 mins to explore the house. There staff everywhere to ask questions, plus a very helpful booklet to take away with you. The building is so beautiful and such a unique experience. Will definitely visit again.

Cosmic House is post-modernism at its ugliest, messiest extreme. There’s a reason why post-modernism was a short-lived and unpopular architectural concept, and those reasons are all encapsulated within this home’s interior. Room after room of symbolism, novelty, and rather kitsch classical and architectural references exhaust your visual sense. Painted mdf is everywhere, there’s no integrity or honesty to the materials used, or the style in which it is implemented. And the links to cosmology are less astrophysics and veer toward new age symbolism. That the honesty and integrity of Brutalism and modernism were replaced by the overwhelming mess of post-modernism is a travesty made manifest in Cosmic House. Still, it is grade 1 listed, presumably to ensure that this pure post-modern interior remains in tact to warn the world of its pitfalls. However, the house is a good experience to visit - the overwhelming post-modernism has a lot to look at and examine and some elements work well (some of the details in the bathrooms are excellent and the staircase is outstanding). In terms of the success of the style it is worthy of just a couple of stars. As a successful museum to a failed architectural style being implemented as a piece of interior design, it deserves a third star.

Brilliant house and an excellent visitor experience. Small group and extremely knowledgeable stewards to answer questions and provide information on all aspects of the house. Highly recommended, tickets must be bought in advance

An absolute hidden gem. So much detail and love and skill had been put into that house. Quirky and different but all ties together beautifully. Could have happily stayed for hours.