Ireland’s largest celebration of architecture – Open House Dublin (OHD) – will kick off this weekend from 15th to 17th October 2021 with full programme of in-person and online events.
Run by the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF), the weekend festival will feature a range of exhibitions, tours, films and activities for people of all ages to explore and discover the architecture of Dublin.
Photography by Richard Hatch.
Events officially kick-off tomorrow evening with a premiere screening of series two of ‘Site Specific’ at Lighthouse Cinema. A series of short films commissioned for OHD 2021, Site Specific will explore some of Dublin’s most iconic buildings, including the Liberties Iveagh Markets, the college of catering at Cathal Brugha Street and an insight into the restoration of the Four Courts. The films will also be available to view online, or at the IAF building on Bachelors Walk, over the course of the weekend.
The flagship event of the annual festival, The Big Debate, returns on Saturday (16.10.21) with a focus on ‘Living for the City’, a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities afforded by living in Dublin, particularly following the pandemic. Moderated by Linda Doyle, Provost and President of Trinity College Dublin, the panel will include Andrea Horan, United Ireland presenter and Tropical Popical founder; Bob Jordan, CEO of the Housing Agency Ireland; Andrew Griffin, co-founder of Urban Agency; and a member of SUBSET. Hosted in person at The Complex Venue in Smithfield, The Big Debate will also be live streamed on IAF social media channels between 6pm-8pm.
Also featuring on this year’s programme, a number of onsite tours will take place over the course of the weekend at iconic Dublin locations, including: a walking tour of Dún Laoghaire’s street art scene, a guided tour of Heuston Station, a walking tour of Capel Street and the City Markets, and ‘Turas ag spaisteoireacht thart ar Teach an Chustaim’, an Irish language tour led by Pat Liddy tours.
Curated Outdoor Tours at Open House Dublin 2021
In addition to virtual Architect’s tours, being screened online and at the IAF building over the course of the weekend, this year also sees the launch of new curated outdoor tours with leading architects and historians on Dublin’s ‘Big Bus’ Tours. Due to public health restrictions, capacity on these tours is restricted, limited tickets are available at the Open House Dublin website. Guided building tours will also explore locations such as the US Embassy, Dublin Port and the Grand Canal.
Big Bus Tours
Commenting ahead of the festival, Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation said: ‘We are really looking forward to kicking off Open House Dublin this weekend, and being able to welcome people to some in-person events this year makes it all the more special. Our programme this year celebrates all that Irish architecture has to offer. We are lucky to have such rich and diverse design across the city which adds to our cultural landscape – and it is so important that we take time to appreciate it, and protect it – and Open House Dublin gives us an opportunity to do just that.’
