The Irish Architecture Foundation will deliver the ninth annual Open House Dublin weekend from 17 to 19 October 2014. 

Open House Dublin is the biggest architectural event in Ireland and a successful platform that encourages architectural interest and awareness among the general public. It has the power to convey that the built environment is an engaging, fascinating, and an important topic for all ages. It provides a creative conversation about architecture and incites a passion and interest in our capital city and its future.

The Irish Architecture Foundation, who delivered its first Open House Dublin in 2006, has firmly established the project as Ireland’s largest architectural event with an estimated 27,000 visits to buildings in 2013. Over one weekend, over 80 buildings of all types and periods will open up their doors to allow citizens to explore the architecture of their city, with special tours by hundreds of professionals and enthusiasts, completely for free.

Learning from Buildings is the theme of Open House Dublin 2014. We want to show that the processes involved in creating the built environment can reveal the desires, tastes, priorities and behaviour of a society at any given time in history. Buildings can tell us about the character of our city and how it was developed. From buildings we can learn about the people involved in designing and constructing the built environment; architects, developers, planners, engineers, builders, crafts people and clients. From buildings we can learn about the needs of society; housing, culture, industry, business and education. From considering school design we can learn about the impact on learning, teaching and wellbeing. From buildings we can learn about advances in technology and environmental priorities. From buildings we can learn about how to improve our future.

As well as building tours, we will have a parallel programme of walks, talks, exhibitions and Open House Junior.

The full programme will go “live” mid September, to keep up to date on announcements join the IAF membership scheme HERE.

Open House Dublin is funded by Dublin City Council and Government Policy on Architecture 2009 – 2015. Additional funding by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Fáilte Ireland, and is supported in kind by Luas, Irish Rail, JcDecaux, RTE Supporting the Arts and Totally Dublin.  The IAF, who deliver Open House Dublin, are funded by the Arts Council and Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht.