Let’s Open the Door Comes to London: A Powerful Global Exhibition You Don’t Want to Miss
This May, London will become one of only two cities outside the United States to host Habitat for Humanity’s extraordinary global pop-up experience, Let’s Open the Door — an immersive art installation designed to spark conversation, inspire action and remind us all why home matters.
For two days only, on May 29 and 30, 2026, visitors in Covent Garden will have the chance to step into a one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring striking artistic doors, real homeowner stories and a global call to action around the housing crisis.
After successful installations in New York City, Washington D.C. and Orlando, the campaign continues through Atlanta and Houston before arriving in London — making this a rare opportunity to experience one of Habitat for Humanity’s most ambitious international campaigns to date.
Out of 10 global cities, only two outside the U.S. were selected to host the installation. London is one of them.
And for anyone passionate about art, humanity, storytelling or social impact, this is a chance to be part of something bigger.
Opening the door to conversations that matter
At the heart of the campaign is a simple but urgent truth: everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home.
For 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has helped families around the world build, improve and access housing. Through Let’s Open the Door, the organization is bringing the global housing crisis into public spaces through creativity, storytelling and community participation.
The installation features over 10 artistic doors, each created by local artists and inspired by personal reflections on home, safety, belonging and identity. Behind every door is a story — stories of comfort, resilience, memory, family and hope.
Previous featured artists across the campaign have included: Islenia Mil, Katty Huertas, Broly Su, Chris Robinson, Danniell Fennell.
Together, these artists represent the global and deeply personal nature of the campaign — proving that while every home story is unique, the need for safety and stability is universal.
Katty Huertas | Featured artist Washington DC
Danniell Fennell | Featured artist Orlando
London’s featured artist: Bex Glendining
Leading the London installation is featured artist Bex Glendining, whose work explores identity, emotion and the meaning of safe spaces.
Bex’s contribution to Let’s Open the Door offers an intimate reflection on what home can mean during the vulnerable transition between childhood and adulthood.
“For my door illustration, I wanted to create a sense of personality and safety in the mess and chaos of a teenager’s bedroom. The experimentation of self-expression, seeing what sticks while still being in the process of studies and feeling like you’re no longer a child but not yet an adult.
Having a safe place to sleep has always been important to me, especially in the face of housing insecurity. I’ve always loved and tried to customize the space as much as possible, making it cozy and somewhere I wanted to spend time in.”
Their artwork captures something deeply relatable: the idea that home is not perfection — it is protection, comfort and the freedom to become yourself.
Why this campaign matters now more than ever
The housing crisis is one of the defining challenges of our time.
Today, 1 in 3 people globally live without access to safe and affordable housing. Across Europe, millions face rising rents, overcrowded living conditions and growing housing insecurity.
The contrast is striking:
- More than 30 million homes across Europe stand empty
- Yet 17% of households live in overcrowded conditions
- Around 40 million people in Europe struggle to heat their homes
- In the UK, approximately 1 in 5 households experience fuel poverty
- More than 1.2 million households in England remain on social housing waiting lists
- Around 176,000 children in England are currently living in temporary accommodation
Behind every statistic is a family waiting for stability. A young person trying to study in unsafe conditions. A parent choosing between heating and food. A child without a secure place to sleep.
That is why Let’s Open the Door exists — to make housing impossible to ignore.
More than an exhibition — a chance to take part
Visitors to the London pop-up will not simply observe the installation. They will become part of it.
The exhibition invites people to reflect on their own meaning of home, engage with stories from around the world and help support housing solutions through advocacy, volunteering and donations.
One of the most interactive elements of the campaign is the opportunity to design your own digital door. By donating, supporters can create a personalized door that becomes part of Habitat’s growing global gallery — a collective symbol of solidarity, creativity and hope.
It is a simple act with powerful meaning: opening the door for someone else.
Every gift opens a door
For just $10, design your own digital door—and help open a real one for a family. Your design will be featured in our gallery alongside those from fellow supporters from around the world!
Let’s go!
Don’t miss London’s most meaningful pop-up experience this spring
Some events entertain. Others stay with you.
Let’s Open the Door is an experience that combines art, emotion and action in a way few public exhibitions can. It is visually powerful, deeply human and globally significant.
For two days only, Londoners and visitors alike will have the opportunity to step inside a worldwide movement that is changing the conversation around housing — one door at a time.
Come explore the installation.
Come hear the stories.
Come reflect on what home means to you.
And most importantly, come help open the door to a better future for families everywhere.
Visit the London installation on May 29–30, 2026, in Covent Garden.
Create your own door.
Share your story.
Support safe and affordable housing.
Because every brighter future starts with a home.