At the heart of this year’s public programme is Future Heritage, the theme guiding the 2025 season of Open House Europe. The Summit will explore how the ideas, spaces, and practices we shape today may become the legacy of tomorrow, and how architecture can help us imagine a more inclusive, resilient, and interconnected European future. What stories do we choose to carry forward? How do we balance preservation and innovation? And in what ways can collective engagement influence the spaces we inherit?

Across a series of panel discussions, the programme will look at heritage as a resource for contemporary architectural practice, examine the values and conditions shaping the future of architecture in Europe, and reflect on the potential of the Open House model itself. Together, these conversations invite participants to rethink the relationship between past, present, and future and to consider how public engagement with architecture can support long-term cultural and spatial transformation.

Public Programme

The event is free to attend; no registration is required.

Save the date and join the conversation in Athens!

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In this year’s festival, many of the projects are located in the center of Bergen, with a focus on Nygårdshøyden and Fjellsiden. In addition, the doors of selected houses will be opened in the areas around Årstad and Paradis. What many of this year’s open houses have in common is that they showcase various aspects of conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. You will gain a unique insight into how architecture is managed, whether in public buildings with great architectural value, or in private homes that are handled with care. This year’s program offers several unique architectural experiences.

The royal residence at Gamlehaugen opens with its own architectural tours, Leif Grung’s architectural gem in Fjellveien; Villa Lau Eide is open Saturday and Sunday. The University of Bergen is celebrating its 200th anniversary and is opening Fasting’s Minde, Knut Fægris hus and Tårnsalen at Nygårdshøyden to the public. You can visit two distinctive buildings – Tonnis hus and Enebolig Kvist Knarvik, both of which are designed in close relation with nature, with a fluid transition between outside and inside.

We look forward to welcoming you to an inspiring weekend filled with architectural discoveries and inspiration!

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This year’s theme, Future Heritage – Today’s Architecture, Tomorrow’s Legacy, shared with other European festivals in the Open House Europe network, reflects on how architecture bridges past and future. The programme highlights how historic structures, contemporary designs, and sustainable practices together form the foundations of tomorrow’s urban heritage. In a city defined by 2,500 years of continuous transformation, Future Heritage encourages visitors to consider how today’s decisions shape the cultural legacy we will leave behind.

The Open Tours form the core of the festival’s programme, allowing participants to enter both public and private buildings across Thessaloniki. On the weekend of 22–23 November, each participating building will reflect the spirit of Future Heritage, falling within one of three thematic categories: Preserved Heritage, Transformation, and Sustainable Design. The programme highlights projects that preserve and showcase the historical identity of buildings, give existing structures new life through creative and innovative reuse, and embrace principles of sustainable and contemporary architecture.

Complementing the main programme, Made in Thessaloniki (15–19 November) invites visitors to workshops and creative spaces to discover local craft and production processes. Educational programmes such as Open School (18, 21 November) and Live-Streaming Tours (18–22 November) make the festival accessible to broader audiences, and Open Office (20–21 November) opens the doors of leading architectural studios. Among the highlights of the complementary programme is Open Walk (15–16 November), dedicated to Thessaloniki’s industrial heritage.

The festival’s programme also includes creative competitions: Open Photo, Open Your Map, Open Vote, and the Visual Stories open call, which encourage public participation and creative reflection on this year’s theme.

The festival is organised by Open House Greece under the auspices and funding of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and with the support of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

We invite all visitors of Open House Thessaloniki 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.

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After focusing in recent years on the trades, elements and fundamentals of architecture, the 2025 edition shifts its attention to the senses and sensations. Architecture is not only what we see, but also what we feel, smell and touch. Each sound, echo, texture or scent forms part of the atmosphere that influences how we experience places and the emotions they evoke. Sent l’Arquitectura encourages visitors to rediscover their surroundings through their senses and to consider how architecture can embrace us, give us space to breathe, or allow us simply to be ourselves.

This year, the festival spans seven cities—Barcelona, Badalona, L’Hospitalet, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Joan Despí, Vilassar de Dalt and Sitges—offering 199 buildings, eight itineraries and 207 activities, including talks, workshops and special routes. Among them, 57 spaces appear in the programme for the first time, with 45 Open Pro buildings presented in collaboration with architects and designers.

Special highlights include Open Petits, a playful exploration inviting children to find hidden miniature houses across eleven locations, and Open Cuina, which offers three recipes created especially for this year’s theme. The festival recommender tool also returns, helping visitors design their weekend itinerary by matching their sensory preferences with the most fitting architectural experiences.

Since 2023, 48h Open House Barcelona has been part of Barcelona Design Week, promoting design as a key driver for social and sustainable development.

We invite all visitors of Open House Barcelona 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.

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Among the highlights is the new edition of Open Premium, combining guided visits with culinary and cultural experiences in exceptional spaces such as Refugio en la Viña by Ramón Esteve. Other notable additions include the refurbished Nave 3 de Ribes, the future home of Centre Cultural La Mutant; the collective housing project Espai Verd; and Roig Arena, a landmark in Valencia’s ongoing urban transformation.

The 2025 edition is structured around the shared Open House Europe theme Future Heritage, exploring how today’s architecture relates to the concept of heritage—through its preservation, transformation, and the legacies we create for the future. Talks, guided tours, and workshops invite participants to reflect on the value of living in heritage buildings, the adaptive reuse of industrial sites, and the contemporary works that may become tomorrow’s cultural landmarks.

As always, the festival remains a collective and inclusive celebration of architecture. More than 300 volunteers will help coordinate visits and activities across the city, supported by over 50 architecture and design studios who open their spaces to the public or take part in walks and discussions. Public and private institutions, cultural centres, and municipal governments also play an essential role in shaping this collaborative effort.

Sustainability continues to guide the festival’s organisation. By decentralising activities across neighbouring municipalities, using low-impact materials, and maintaining free access to all main events, Open House Valencia reaffirms its commitment to accessibility, cultural inclusion, and environmental responsibility. Together, these values form the foundation of a festival that celebrates architecture as a shared, living experience that connects people and places across the region.

We invite all visitors of Open House Valencia 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.

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This year’s festival (11–12 October 2025) will feature more than 40 buildings and sites across the city and over 400 guided tours, offering unique insights into Tallinn’s past, present, and future. Tours will take place in four languages – Estonian, English, Russian, and Estonian Sign Language – ensuring that as many people as possible can take part.

The programme brings together a rich mix of spaces that shape the city’s identity. Participants can step into iconic landmarks such as Linnahall, Toompea Castle and the Parliament of Estonia, or in the process of revitalisation Manufaktuuri Quarter. They can experience the transformation of industrial heritage at Noblessner and Krulli Quarters, or discover community life at Kopli Community House and new state-of-the-art schools like Pelgulinna State Gymnasium and Mustamäe State Gymnasium.

Modern gems and cultural institutions feature prominently in this year’s festival — from the sleek lines of the Pirita Yacht Club harbour building to the elegant Orangery in Kadriorg Park. The arts are well represented through schools such as Estonian Academy of Arts and Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, offering a peek into the creative studios and performance spaces shaping culture’s future. Stepping back in time, the reconstructed Maarjamäe Palace and the History Museum evoke heritage and memory, reminding us that every stone and façade carries a story worth preserving.

Alongside the building tours, Open House Tallinn offers a diverse special programme designed to spark dialogue about architecture, design, and urban life. Visitors can join thematic walks that explore topics such as the persistence and transience of architectural heritage, material reuse in central city parks, or the intuitive neighbourhood of Štromka. Pop-up lectures and discussions will bring experts and citizens together to think about the city’s future, while family-friendly tours and youth activities will engage the next generation of urban explorers.

By opening doors and creating encounters, Open House Tallinn highlights the importance of architecture and urban space in our daily lives. The festival invites everyone to see the city not just as a backdrop, but as a living, evolving space we all shape together.

The festival is organised by the Estonian Centre for Architecture in cooperation with partners and supporters: Estonian Cultural Endowment, City of Tallinn, European Heritage Days, Hepsor, Laufen, Rockwool, Ruukki, Kingivabrik, Selver, Raba and Punch Club. The festival is co-funded by a joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

We invite all visitors of Open House Tallinn 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.

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Celebrating its 20th year, this year’s festival joins the continent-wide Open House Europe programme exploring the theme ‘Future Heritage’, with Dublin’s O’Connell Street, a place where the past, present and future converge, serving as the focal point of the visual campaign.

The Open House Dublin programme features more than 200 events for everyone to experience free of charge. This year’s festival promises to be the most exciting and accessible yet, with guided tours of landmark buildings, outdoor spaces, private homes, and architects’ studios alongside exhibitions, conversations, a weekend of family-friendly events, and much more. The packed line-up also includes unique Open House events at IAF House, Charlemont Square.

Among this year’s new additions to the Open House Dublin 2025 programme are guided tours of some of the city’s most iconic and rarely accessible spaces. Highlights include the General Post Office (GPO), Dublin’s landmark civic building, the Docklands Municipal Water Sports Centre and Docklands Office, Dublin Airport’s Old Central Terminal Building, the Europa Experience Dublin on Chatham Street, Dublinia, and the French Ambassador’s residence on Ailesbury Road, among others. New guided walking tours invite participants to explore the contradictions, character, and potential futures of O’Connell Street, and heritage highlights on strolls from Sydney Parade to Ranelagh and from the Rialto Luas Stop to Grand Canal Harbour.

Housing, community, and neighbourhoods take centre stage in this year’s programme, with engaging walking tours led by Dublin City Architects – offered both in English and as Gaeilge – showcasing how thoughtful design is shaping the future of Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. Tours of renowned OPW buildings – including Áras an Uachtaráin, The Four Courts, The Custom House and Áras Mhic Dhiarmada (Bus Áras) – will focus on how these landmarks are being preserved, revitalised, and adapted for contemporary use.

IAF House, a free, accessible temporary public venue for architecture and culture, returns to Charlemont Square this autumn. It will serve as the Open House Info Hub and host the Open Table series, informal conversations exploring timely and relevant topics. Democracy, led by Professor Jane Suiter, Director of DCU’s Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society, will explore how people can become more actively involved in shaping the present and future of Dublin, while Diaspora, led by young architecture graduates who have left the city, will examine why so many young people are choosing to leave Dublin today. IAF House will also host exhibitions, including the work of HouseEurope!, an award-winning activist campaign to change European law to prevent unnecessary demolition of existing buildings.

Open House Dublin once again offers visitors a rare opportunity to step inside imaginative homes across the city, while Open Studios returns with in-person tours and talks with architects in their design studios. The programme also includes a talk by Belgian architect An Fonteyne and a workshop by Spinal Injuries Ireland exploring accessibility in the built environment. The festival opens with Open House Junior on October 11th & 12th – a weekend of free workshops and events for children, teens, and families across the city and county.

All Open House Dublin events are free. Pre-booking is required for many of the events. Pre-booking for ticketed events goes live at 10:00am on 24th September on OpenHouseDublin.com, where full details of the 2025 programme, including which events require pre-booking, can be found.

We invite all visitors of Open House Dublin 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.

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The 2025 edition of Open House Stockholm joins the continent-wide exploration of the shared theme Future Heritage. This theme reflects on how architecture is preserved, valued, and passed on to future generations, and how today’s choices shape tomorrow’s cultural identity.

Across the festival weekend, guided tours will introduce visitors to a wide range of sites—from historic environments and ongoing construction projects to examples of sustainable urban development. The programme highlights how past, present, and future intersect in the city’s development, encouraging conversations about what should endure and what must evolve.

Open House Stockholm 2025 promises fresh perspectives on the built environment, meetings with the people behind the projects, and opportunities to ask questions directly to experts. This year, the celebration of Stockholm’s architecture is also a celebration of ten years of curiosity, dialogue, and discovery.

We invite all visitors of Open House Stockholm 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.

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The festival is guided by a clear ambition: to bring architecture closer to the people. By promoting an open, multidirectional, and honest dialogue, OPEN Bilbao seeks to take architecture off its pedestal and reconnect it with the daily lives of those it serves. In this spirit, the programme encourages collective reflection on both heritage and the future—understanding architecture not only as a legacy but as a living, evolving tool for shaping the world we want to inhabit.

In 2025, OPEN Bilbao joins the continent-wide programme of Open House Europe with the shared theme Future Heritage. The theme invites reflection on how architecture connects the past, present, and future of European cities. It emphasises the importance of preserving and reinterpreting architectural heritage in a rapidly changing world, shaped by challenges such as urbanisation, social transformation, and shifting ways of designing and inhabiting spaces. Through the festival’s diverse programme, visitors will encounter contemporary practices that balance tradition and innovation, opening up a dialogue about which elements of the built environment should be preserved and how the decisions we make today will shape the legacy we leave for future generations. With this perspective, the festival broadens the traditional concept of heritage to include not only historical buildings but also contemporary architecture, local knowledge, and emerging ways of designing and inhabiting the city.

At the heart of the festival’s week-long programme are guided tours. 89 buildings and emblematic spaces will open their doors to the public, many of them usually inaccessible. More than 450 volunteers will accompany visitors, sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm while offering new perspectives on the city.

Throughout the week, a full line-up of talks, workshops, panel discussions, and urban tours will complement the main programme. These activities aim to spark dialogue and critical thinking around architecture and urban design, encouraging participants to reflect on the role of architecture in shaping inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Accessibility and inclusion remain defining commitments of OPEN Bilbao. More than 80% of participating buildings are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and the festival provides specific resources to ensure that everyone can engage fully in the experience.

In search of a language that brings architecture closer to people, the OPEN Bilbao programme promotes open, multidirectional, and honest dialogue. The festival aims to take architecture off its pedestal and bring it back to the street — reconnecting it with the people it serves. In 2025, OPEN Bilbao encourages collective reflection on both heritage and the future — understanding architecture not only as a legacy but as a living, evolving tool for shaping the world we want to inhabit.

We invite all visitors of OPEN Bilbao 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.

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The 2025 edition of Open House Essen focuses on the theme “Future Heritage: The Legacy of Tomorrow”. It explores which buildings and spaces will become the architectural heritage of the future—from historic structures to innovative new projects. As a partner of Open House Europe, the festival raises discussions about what should be preserved and what should be transformed, and how we can shape a liveable and fair future. It encourages reflection on pressing issues such as climate change, democracy, urbanisation, and inclusion. 

Together with visitors, the festival promises to open new perspectives on tomorrow’s heritage. Open House Essen offers everyone the opportunity to be inspired by architecture while encouraging lively debate: Is a concrete cube unattractive simply because it is concrete? What gives a crooked half-timbered house its special character? Can a reconstruction ever match the original? Visitors may dive into the history of buildings and the stories of those who use them or simply wander and take in impressions. Throughout the weekend, the team and locals will answer questions, guide tours, and give talks on architecture and the city’s history.

The festival’s programme offers a look behind the facades of some of Essen’s most fascinating sites—from industrial halls to places of worship, from office towers to private homes. Highlights include the Schaudepot of the Ruhr Museum, the Episcopal General Vicariate, the repurposed St. Gertrud Church—now the Creative Cathedral TRUDI—and Essen Cathedral, the city’s oldest monument. The Heilig Geist Art Space at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein returns in a newly developed form as an independent space for art, architecture, and dialogue, hosting the exhibition “Erlösung NOW” by Ana Gropp-Kondić and Ernesto Herrera Orta, alongside talks and workshops.

Open House Essen is also about encounters and conversations. At the Ayasofya Mosque in Katernberg, visitors will be welcomed not only with a guided tour but also with a glass of çay, creating space for dialogue about architecture, culture, and community. The Pestalozzi Settlement “Neuhof” will tell the story of a housing estate once built for young miners, while the freshly renovated Gebrandenhof will open on 7 September, offering insight into a modern restoration project.

Alongside guided tours, new formats will enrich the 2025 programme. A silent walk through Zollverein with noise-cancelling headphones will allow for concentrated, quiet exploration of the World Heritage Site, while moderated conversations will invite discussion on architectural, historical, and social topics.

Organised by Forum Kunst und Architektur e.V., Open House Essen is the first and so far the only German member of the international Open House Worldwide network. This year, the festival is under the patronage of Mayor of Essen Thomas Kufen.

We invite all visitors of Open House Essen 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.

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