On the occasion of the annual Open House Festival, the Romanian Cultural Institute in London is organising a series of cultural events aimed at showcasing contemporary Romanian design, music, and art, while welcoming visitors to explore the Institute's magnificent Grade I-listed headquarters at 1 Belgrave Square as part of this renowned architecture festival.
Over the course of the three-day programme (18–20 September), visitors will have the opportunity not only to discover the historic building that houses the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, but also to explore a Romanian contemporary fashion design exhibition, discover the story of Nadia Comăneci through the exhibition “Nadia Comăneci: The Road to Perfection”, learn more about the history of the building and its illustrious inhabitants over time, and enjoy an exceptional voice and piano recital.
The contemporary Romanian fashion design exhibition, "British Heritage Reinterpreted", brings the Diplomacy in Fashion platform from Bucharest to the Romanian Cultural Institute in London. Created by Lucie Portman, wife of H.E. Giles Portman, British Ambassador to Romania, Diplomacy in Fashion celebrates the creative dialogue between Romanian and British fashion. The exhibition will showcase the work of more than 20 emerging and established Romanian designers alongside selected British designers, highlighting the richness of contemporary Romanian fashion and its engagement with British heritage, aesthetics and design.
“Nadia Comăneci: The Road to Perfection” comes to London as part of the Romanian Cultural Institute’s programme for Open House Festival 2026, marking 50 years since the Romanian gymnast made history by scoring the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics. This extraordinary achievement changed the sport forever and transformed a 14-year-old athlete into a global icon almost overnight. Presented outdoors along the railings at 1 Belgrave Square, the exhibition invites the thousands of visitors exploring London’s architectural and cultural heritage to encounter one of Romania’s most remarkable stories in the public space. Inaugurated for Open House London, on view until 2027.
Our documentary photography exhibition entitled "Auspicious Absents" is a visual and textual history of the building at 1 Belgrave Square, produced by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London in 2014. Through photographs, archival material and historical texts, the exhibition tells the story of the Institute's headquarters and of the distinguished British aristocrats for whom it was originally built, as well as the eminent Romanian figures who later occupied or visited the building.
One of the highlights of this year's programme is a vocal recital by versatile mezzo-soprano Adriana Festeu accompanied by pianist Christopher White. Inspired by the Romanian saying Three things are beyond a person's knowledge: the moment of their birth, the moment sleep comes, and the moment of their death, the recital explores the moments of transition into and out of consciousness across a woman’s life. The programme moves freely between languages, styles, genres and periods, using these contrasts to reflect the unpredictability of human experience - from operatic intensity to the intimacy of song. Genre becomes part of the narrative itself, creating a parallel musical plot alongside the dramatic one led by the text, together mirroring the relationship between lived experience and our perception of it.
RCI Programme at the Open House Festival
18 September
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Contemporary Romanian Fashion Design Exhibition "British Heritage Reinterpreted"
Documentary Photography Exhibition "Auspicious Absents"
19 September
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Contemporary Romanian Fashion Design Exhibition "British Heritage Reinterpreted"
Documentary Photography Exhibition "Auspicious Absents"
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Classical Music Recital by mezzo-soprano Adriana Festeu and pianist Christopher White
20 September
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Contemporary Romanian Fashion Design Exhibition "British Heritage Reinterpreted"
Documentary Photography Exhibition "Auspicious Absents"
Outdoor exhibition, on view throughout the festival and until spring of 2027:
“Nadia Comăneci: The Road to Perfection”
The presence of distinguished artists such as Adriana Festeu and Christopher White, together with the interdisciplinary nature of the programme, which brings together contemporary fashion design, classical music, architectural heritage and Romanian sporting heritage, in dialogue with current international cultural practices, will, we hope, inspire you to visit us and discover this unique celebration of Romanian culture in the heart of London.
