On May 10–11, Open House Vilnius, organised by Architektūros fondas, returns for its 11th edition. Once again, the event will invite residents and visitors to explore architecture through free tours of unique buildings that are usually closed to the public. Over 50 sites will open their doors, and popular meetings with the city’s creators—a hit from last year—will return. A new addition to the programme will be four guided stories about green urban spaces.

As part of the Open House Europe 2025 programme, the festival this year is held under the continent-wide theme of “Future Heritage“, which encourages us to see today’s architecture as tomorrow’s history. According to project leader Solveiga Buoželytė, the theme invites a critical exploration of how we define the value and uniqueness of buildings, public spaces, and even infrastructure.

“The Future Heritage theme urges us to reflect on which contemporary architectural decisions will become the heritage of future generations and how our values, lifestyles, and challenges shape the urban environment. While existing heritage is often considered fixed, each generation must rediscover what elements are most meaningful to them. It’s fascinating to think how the works we create and speak about today for future generations will reflect our perspectives on value, global challenges, and what will ultimately endure,” says Buoželytė.

This year’s visual identity, reflecting the festival’s theme, was created by graphic designer and animator Liudas Barkauskas.

Visitors will have access to 50 locations this year, including 12 newcomers. Following last year’s success, the festival will once again open the doors of the city’s creators—architects, urbanists, and city planners—enabling direct conversations about the ideas and approaches behind their projects.

For the first time, the festival programme will also include green urban areas—green zones that are becoming a key part of contemporary urban architecture.

According to programme coordinators Emilija Deksnytė and Rūta Gaškauskaitė, while green spaces are publicly accessible, guided tours will offer a deeper understanding of why they were designed the way they are and reveal fascinating details we often overlook when simply passing them by.

“Today, cities are no longer made up solely of buildings—green spaces are playing an increasingly important role. When we talk about public spaces, we’re also talking about community, health, and a climate-resilient city. So it’s only natural that the architecture festival expands into natural architecture,” says Deksnytė.

During the festival weekend, tours of green urban spaces will take place in Bernardinai Garden, the Japanese garden Sei Shin En, the Business Garden Vilnius complex, and in Naujamiestis, where the transformation of the district’s streets will be presented.

Tours will be led by volunteer guides—a vital part of the festival’s success. This year, nearly 500 volunteers will participate.

In May, Open House Vilnius visitors will be able to meet 12 city creators, experience architecture through various artistic activities and performances, and choose from tours of more than 50 sites. Tours will be conducted in Lithuanian, English, and Ukrainian. All tours are free of charge and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event is partially funded by the Vilnius City Municipality.

We invite all visitors of Open House Vilnius to participate in the Open Call for Visual Stories—an opportunity to creatively interpret the festival experience and this year’s Open House Europe theme, “Future Heritage”. Submissions can take any visual form, including photography, short film, drawing, or other artistic expressions.