A visit to the US Ambassador’s Residence in the Phoenix Park,a walking tour on the Guinness legacy in the Liberties, Dublin city’s oldest home and a host of architecturally designed residential homes are just some highlights of this year’s Open House Dublin, launched today (14.09.22). The Irish Architecture Foundation’s flagship annual festival will take place across Dublin city and county from 14th to 16th October.
Over the weekend, Open House Dublin will host 150+ free events in more than 100 sites across the city and county. There are historical and contemporary tours of iconic buildings, private homes, exemplary social housing projects, public spaces and parks, all led by expert guides. You can drop in to film screenings and exhibitions, join boat tours of Dublin Port, as well as cycling and walking tours, and you can even experience a site-specific theatre performance about family history and brutalist architecture. With special events and activities for young people and families, there really is something for everyone.
Highlights of this year’s programme include:
New additions, including Dublin’s highest office space, the Exo Building designed by Shay Cleary Architects and MCA Architects; the Irish Aviation Authority’s new Air Traffic Control Tower at Dublin Airport designed by architects Scott Tallon Walker, which, standing at 87.7m high, makes it Ireland’s tallest occupied structure; One Microsoft Place, the tech giant’s new headquarters with tours led by architects RKD; tours of the new Ropemaker Place and Sorting Office urban quarter in Dublin’s Docklands designed by architects Henry J Lyons; and tours led by DLR Architects of the new Dún Laoghaire Baths.
Residential homes, including the US Ambassador’s Residence in the Phoenix Park; architect Declan Scullion’s renovation of an existing Victorian terraced house in Vavasour Square in Sandymount; and 9/9a Aungier Street, believed to be the oldest home in Dublin city at 350 years old.
Exemplary social housing projects, including Dublin City Council’s Dominick Street Regeneration project by architects Carr, Cotter + Naessens in collaboration with Denis Byrne Architects.
Open House Dublin events in Fingal will include expert-led tours of Fingal County Hall, Swords Castle and the great hall conservation at Malahide Castle.
This year’s Big Debate event will discuss what the future holds for Dublin’s built environment. Taking place on the 14th October at The Science Gallery, Naughton Institute, Trinity College Dublin, the debate will be hosted by architect VRIAI & VAI Róisín Murphy and will include architect Valerie Mulvin, Francis Doherty of Peter McVerry Trust, poet Hazel Hogan, documentary producer Geoff Power and journalist Laoise Neylon.
Officially opening at Open House Dublin will be Housing Unlocked, a joint initiative between the IAF and the Housing Agency. Eight ground-breaking ideas will be put on display at an exhibition in The Science Gallery, Naughton Institute, Trinity College Dublin, developed by forward-thinking teams who are keen to solve the housing crisis. Could repurposing empty churches, vacant shop units and closed banks be the answer?
Open House Dublin also offers young people and families the chance to get up close with architecture through workshops and activities at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum and the Chester Beatty Library. Families can also embark on self-guided Architreks tours designed by architects.
The Site-Specific Film Series, a programme of short documentaries commissioned by the IAF during the pandemic, will explore the personalities, processes, complexity, creativity and transformative impact that surround the act of designed space. The 17 films will be screened in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar on the Friday and Saturday night during the festival.
Launching the programme today, in the Exo Building, were Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan, TD, Open House Dublin Manager Karen Lee Walpole, architect and writer Cormac Murray, and Shay Cleary of Shay Cleary Architects, who designed the Exo Building.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Noonan said: “I am delighted to see Open House Dublin return with a packed programme of in-person events that shine a light on and tell the stories of the many facets of the architecture of the city and county. The Irish Architecture Foundation has done tremendous work to grow the festival into a highly anticipated annual highlight for all the public to enjoy.”
Also commenting, Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, said: “This year’s Open House Dublin is lifting the lid on Dublin city and county’s buildings, opening up spaces and places that are rarely accessible to the public, as well as celebrating all that’s good about Irish architecture.
“We’re very proud to have the Housing Unlocked exhibition, run jointly with the Housing Agency, as a centrepiece of the Open House Dublin programme. The public will get to see eight creative, practical solutions that address the housing issues in Ireland’s cities, towns and villages, and that showcase the high quality and ambitious nature of the architecture and design sector in Ireland.
“We’re thrilled to have architect Róisín Murphy as the host of the Big Debate, which will be tackling the topic of housing, dereliction, the loss of our intangible cultural heritage, and how we can make the city more open, accessible and equitable.
“There are lots of exciting events for families and children, too. We invite everyone to join us to get up-close with Dublin’s architecture this October.”
The IAF and Open House Dublin are delighted to partner with Peter McVerry Trust this year and visitors to Open House can make a donation to the trust via the Open House Dublin website.
All Open House Dublin events are free, but booking is required for some. Booking for ticketed events opens at 10.00am on the 21st September. Full details of the programme can be found here: OpenHouseDublin.com.
