The annual architecture festival celebrating design and built heritage includes many new events – all inspired by its theme of inclusion, belonging and access …
Organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation, Open House Dublin is a nine-day programme of free events from October 12 to 20, taking place in all four local authority areas – Dublin City, Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin. Now in its nineteenth year, it forms part of Open House Europe, a collaborative network of twelve architecture festivals.
This year, there are over 200 events, from workshops to guided tours of buildings and outdoors spaces, architects studios and private houses. The theme is centred around access, inclusion and belonging (represented by a mirror motif on the festival posters). Organisers are inviting people to look closely at familiar places and to consider if they are reflected in their built environment, architecture and infrastructure of Dublin city and county, as well as recreational and green spaces.
Emmett Scanlon, director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, says: “At a time of division and difference, this festival of architecture is a chance to unite, to go behind the scenes, to get under the skin, to read Dublin beyond the headlines, to hear some true stories, and to pull up a chair and be heard at the table. From the runway to the greenway, to the harbour to the home, I hope you all join us at this year’s Open House Dublin.”
This year’s Open House Dublin will start with a dedicated Junior Weekend for children and families from October 12 to 13. In tandem with this, a LEGO competition will run online as part of the festival, inviting children everywhere to get building, with special prizes up for grabs too. “Dublin, Let’s Move” is another family-focused initiative, a “walkshop” that starts at the Luke Kelly Statue, Guild Street, North Wall and is led by Sabrina Dekker (Climate Action Coordinator with Dublin City Council) and Darby Mullen (executive engineer & energy coordinator with Dublin City Council). They have been engaging with the community in the North East Inner City to examine the ability of children there to move safely through the city – whether by walking, cycling, wheeling or scooting – to ensure the city is sustainable and designed for all ages. The idea is to encourage children to move through the city in this way to significantly reduce emissions and have a positive impact on children’s health.
Photo Museum Ireland
Reuben Street, Photo by Thomas O’Brien
The main programme of events, including tours of buildings, outdoor spaces and residences, takes place from October 18 to 20, so there’s plenty of time to plan accordingly. In between, the popular lunchtime series of Open Table conversations is back, from October 14 to 18, at the festival hub at Charlemont Walk, Dublin 2. Topics to be discussed include mental health and the built environment, led by Thrive Balbriggan (October 14); on gender-sensitive place-making, led by May East, an international urbanist and author of the book What if Women Designed the City? (October 16); and on ageing in place, led by Declan Gaffney of Age Friendly Ireland (October 17).
If visiting the Info Hub, look out for some of the special exhibitions: “Squashed Habitats” looks at what it’s like to live with the housing crisis in Dublin by Laura Ferry and Peter O’Grady. “Bí Linn” is an exhibition on queer domesticities and cooperative living by Aisteach, and “The Reason of Towns” is a touring exhibition with architect Valerie Mulvin on the tradition and future of the Irish town.
Griffith Avenue
One of the highlights is a special evening in the Lighthouse Cinema on October 19, When Dublin Met Paris, with visiting guests Marion Waller, director of the Pavillon de l’Arsenal centre for architecture and urbanism in Paris, and French architect Nicolas Guérin from NP2F-architectes; which designed the flagship venue for the Paris Olympic Games, the Adidas Arena. The audience can expect an interesting event on the possibilities of urban transformation in Dublin and myth-busting common perceptions of the city of Paris.
Twelve studios and architect offices will be opening their doors as part of the Open Studios event to give visitors behind-the-scenes access to how architects design Dublin and its buildings. They include smaller practices, including five studios that are located together in a Georgian building at 37 North Great Georges Street – Antipas Jones Architects, Eden Architects, Found Architects, MMX Architects and Robert Bourke Architects. They will showcase their practices and methodologies, which range from rethinking collective housing to furniture design, with all kinds of architecture and design projects in between, as well as larger practices such as Henry J Lyons’ recently refurbished Dublin studio in 51-54 Pearse Street (its recent projects include Google Flour Mills at Boland’s Mill and Central Plaza, the former Central Bank).
New tours have been added this year and include The Lark Concert Hall in Balbriggan, voted the public’s favourite building; Glencar House in Ballsbridge, an office development by Reddy Architecture + Urbanism; 49-51 Amiens Street, apartments by Lawrence and Long; the OPW-owned St Mary’s Abbey-Chapter House Cistercian Monastery in Smithfield; and homes designed by architects Tom De Paor, Tom O’Brien, Brennan Furlong and Courtney McDonnell.
For those keen to walk or cycle, take a tour of the new Tolka Estuary Greenway. This dedicated 3.2km cycle and pedestrian route along the northern perimeter of Dublin Port has scenic views of the Estuary. The cycle tour is being led by architect Bryan O’Rourke and the walking tours by Darmody Architecture & TTT – (ThirtyThreeTrees). There’s also a tour of Dublin City Council’s Clontarf to City Centre Active Travel and Bus Priority Project; a walking tour of Francis Street and Meath Street; and a walking tour with City Architects of north-west inner-city housing.
Lastly, several theatre tours feature in this year’s programme – of Smock Alley, the Abbey, the Gate, The Lark Convert Hall (Balbriggan), and CoisCéim (Fairview). Particularly intriguing, a mystery tour has been added to the programme for those who like surprises. It will be of an OPW-owned building on October 19. See you there!
Need to Know: All Open House Dublin events are free. Pre-booking is required for some events. For more details visit; www.openhousedublin.com
