This year’s edition, titled “Future Heritage – The Architecture of Today, the Heritage of Tomorrow”, highlights the importance of architecture as a means of shaping future cultural heritage. It forms part of the continent-wide programme of the Open House Europe 2025 season with the shared theme of “Future Heritage”.

The Open House Athens 2025 OPEN Tours programme categorises participating sites under four thematic labels: Preserved Heritage, Transformation, Sustainable Design, and Innovation Cluster. Each category reflects a different way in which architecture connects the past with the future, whether through careful restoration, adaptive reuse, sustainable design principles or forward-thinking workspaces.

The main weekend is complemented by an extensive line-up of parallel events and activities. Kicking off the festival on 29–30 March, the MADE in Athens programme offers behind-the-scenes access to local production studios and craft workshops. During the same weekend, three OPEN Walks will guide visitors through the mansions of Kifisia, the modernist Kypseli neighbourhood, and a nighttime walking route focusing on the role of lighting in revealing the character of historic Athens.

On 3–4 April, the OPEN Office programme invites the public into some of the city’s leading architectural studios, where architects will present their projects and discuss their design processes. Meanwhile, on 31 March and 4 April, school and student groups are invited to participate in OPEN School guided visits to creative and production spaces. Everyone who cannot attend the festival is invited to tune in for the live-streamed tours on the festival’s Instagram page from 31 March to 6 April.

A series of creative competitions runs throughout the festival. Visitors can submit photos to the OPEN Photo Instagram competition, vote for their favourite site in the OPEN Vote public award, or participate in the OPEN Your Map challenge to create a personalised event keepsake. Design students and graduates can enter the OPEN Your Portfolio competition to win a postgraduate scholarship.

With Future Heritage as a guiding theme, Open House Athens 2025 offers a rich and thoughtful programme that reflects on the evolving legacy of architecture and how we shape the cultural identity of cities through design.

Open House Athens 2025, sponsored by PRODEA investments, ENDEAVOR, The National Bank of Greece, OTE ESTATE, IFI Lighting, and DIMAND, is taking place under the auspices and with the funding of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens, in cooperation with DAEM S.A. and with the support of the Organization of Culture, Sports, and Youth of the Municipality of Athens, the Athens Concert Hall, and STASY.

We invite all visitors of Open House Athens 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 edition of Open House Athens, made possible by the sponsorship of ELVIAL, will highlight the theme of accessibility and inclusion throughout its programme. Open House Athens offers free architectural guided tours with the goal of fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of architecture among the public. These tours provide a glimpse into the city’s exceptional private and public spaces. Hundreds of devoted volunteers, sponsored by ALLIANZ, will guide the tours throughout the festival and provide thousands of visitors with an opportunity to interact with the city and learn more about its architectural heritage.

Parallel activities preceding the main event include Made in Athens 2024 (6–7 April) and Open Walk (April 6–7), offering glimpses into Athens’ creative community and lesser-known architectural gems, respectively. These activities, sponsored by VITEX and DASKALAKIS & associates, provide unique insights into the city’s diverse architectural landscape.

Moreover, Open House Athens 2024 introduces educational initiatives like Open School (8, 12 April) and Livestreaming Tours (April 8–12), providing accessible avenues for learning and exploration. The inclusion of innovative initiatives such as 3D Virtual Tours (April 13–14) further enhances the event’s immersive experience, allowing visitors to engage with the architecture of Athens remotely.

The main event, Open Tours (April 13–14), features 76 buildings across Athens, showcasing a mix of public and private spaces, museums, residences, and more. Notable among these is the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne, offering a special tour as part of its 150th-anniversary celebrations.

In addition to guided tours and immersive experiences, Open House Athens hosts a series of competitions, including Open Photo, Open Vote, Open Your Map, and others, inviting active participation from visitors and enthusiasts. Visit openhouseathens.gr for the full parallel programme and detailed information.

We invite visitors of Open House Athens to participate in the Open Call for Visual Stories. It is an opportunity for everyone to interpret their experiences of the festival and the annual theme of Open House Europe—Accessibility and Inclusion—in any art form they wish—a series of photographs, a short film, a drawing, or any other medium for a visual narrative.

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