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.

The post Open House Tallinn appeared first on Open House Europe.

“Our great desire at the Estonian Centre for Architecture is to bring architecture closer to people, and Open House Tallinn makes this possible. Every year, there is an overwhelming number of participants and curious visitors. I hope this curiosity about architecture and design continues, and people come to discover their hometown,” says Hannes Praks, head of the Estonian Centre for Architecture.

This year’s programme features a variety of new locations, such as the Bank of Estonia complex, the newly built Kadriorg Orangerie, and the rebuilt Volta Villa. Industrial locations like the old grain elevator Nõmme Elevator, the future location of Hundipea district, and Luther’s quarter. Historical locations like Kadriorg Palace, Estonian Academy of Sciences, and barracks rebuilt into the Dunten Hotel.

Aligned with the goals of the Open House Europe 2024 programme, this year’s event emphasizes accessibility and inclusion, offering specially designed activities for children and youth. Buildings accessible to wheelchair users are also clearly marked. In addition to tours in Estonian, English, and Russian, there will also be tours conducted in Estonian Sign Language. At the Estonian Academy of Arts, there will be a special tour for the visually impaired and a sensory tour for sighted individuals, where participants will experience the tour with their eyes covered.

The special programme of Open House Tallinn includes exciting talks, workshops, indoor orienteering, and outdoor tours. Tours can be joined on a first-come, first-served basis unless stated otherwise. Registration for tours and detailed tour times can be found on the website. Special tours and lightning talks will primarily be conducted in Estonian.

Special tours at Open House Tallinn include: Stories of garages in Old Town and Kalamaja, Kopli district tour, Kopli children’s tour, street space tour, Niguliste Church tour, Krulli indoor orienteering, Krulli quarter structures tour, TTK architecture institute tour, descriptive tour for the visually impaired, architecture sensory tour, lighting design discovery journey, and lighting design workshops.

Open House Tallinn 2024 is supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment, the City of Tallinn, Rockwool, Ruukki, Reterra, Laufen, Penosil, Endover, Kingivabrik, and Raba.

We invite visitors of Open House Talliinn 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.

The post Open House Tallinn appeared first on Open House Europe.