Open House Athens

Public buildings but also private homes and businesses in Athens will open their doors to the public next weekend, during the first "Open House Athens" held in the Greek capital.

Adopting an idea that first started off in London in 1992 , "Open House Greece" was launched in Thessaloniki two years ago, where it attracted 22,000 visitors, before trying its luck in the Greek capital.

Open House is a simple but powerful concept: showcasing outstanding architecture for all to experience, completely for free. Open House initiatives invite everyone to explore and understand the value of a well-designed built environment.

Open House Athens aspires to expose the architectural treasures of this dynamic city, and make architecture accessible to all. Today 21 cities are members of the Open House Worldwide family and host annually this event, including New York, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Helsinki, Melbourne, Barcelona, Chicago, Rome, Lisbon etc.

The first Open House event in Greece took place on 24th and 25th of November 2012 in Thessaloniki. Selected architectural sites were open to the public during this weekend and more than 12.000 visits were made.

The events Open House Athens and Open House Thessaloniki are organised by the non-governmental and non-profit organisation Open House Greece, founded in 2012.

The NGO has persuaded 49 buildings in the Athens municipality to open their doors and offer free tours, as outlined on the website www.openhouseathens.gr.

The buildings included in the programme were selected to cover a wide range of architectural styles, eras and uses, ranging from commercial buildings, hotels, cultural spaces, residences, public buildings and schools. Among them are the Athens Town Hall and Municipal Gallery, the Home for the Arts and Letters, the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki Museum, the Islamic Art Museum, the offices of Pataki Publications, the Megaron Hypatia and private homes on Filopappou hill, Lycabettus and in the Ambelokipi district.

In addition to the open days for the public, school tours will be conducted on Friday, followed by a launch event at the Benaki Museum on Friday night. There will also be a photography competition, with the best three photographs posted on Instagram winning photography lenses for cell phones.

The first "Open House Athens" is organised in collaboration with the Hellenic Architecture Institute and with the support of the Technical Chamber of Greece, the Athens municipality and Monumenta, while it is held under the aegis of the tourism ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT).