Open House Dublin – Oct 17th to 19th
Dervla | October 14, 2008This weekend sees buildings selected for their architectural quality and interest open their doors to the public.
Now, in its third year, Open House Dublin has grown from strength to strength and is the only event which successfully promotes public awareness about the built environment, and uses buildings and the spaces in-between to inspire an audience to interact with their surroundings.
Our topical and diverse programme includes stunning private residences, landmark public buildings, eco-conscious apartments, award-winning civic offices, contemporary cinemas and art spaces, historic monuments, as well as the essential civic infrastructure of schools, libraries and community centres, rounded-off by tours of Dublin Airport and Dún Laoghaire’s historic East Pier Battery. To explore our public spaces, we have compiled an extended programme of walking tours.
Open House Dublin is a free event with some events requiring prebooking. A list of participant buildings and date and times of opening can be found on the Architecture Foundation website.
In addition, an Open Debate “Has Dublin Changed For The Better?” takes place in Liberty Hall on Thursday, Oct 16th at 6.30.
The economic boom of the past ï¬fteen years has undoubtedly manifested itself in an architectural renaissance and the city has seen immense growth and development. But has Dublin really changed for the better?
This is my first year being in Dublin whilst Open House is on. I’ve volunteered for the event and I’m very excited. Hopefully I’ll have enough time to see everything.
Let us know your thoughts if you get to visit.
I went to several sites during the Open House last year. After I went to the first location, I was hooked for the whole weekend. The tours were fascinating, and the volunteers were always friendly. This event is a great way to experience Dublin in a new way, and to notice buildings that you may have walked or driven past without noticing them. You also get access to parts of the city centre that are otherwise private or hidden.
[...] Open House Dublin event last year was one of our best Dublin experiences. This weekend is the 2008 Open House event. We’re excited about it, and we’ll have lots of Dublin [...]
As a volunteer I loved the experience. The Architect was so interesting and enthusiastic about the building, and all the visitors were so pleased. I’m definitely signing up to next years. I hope it gets expanded to other cities in Ireland.