Open House Slovenia Festival

Contact

Festival Odprte hiše Slovenije

Zelena pot 30, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.odprtehiseslovenije.org/

info@odprtehiseslovenije.org

Managed byAFRONT, Zavod za prostorsko inovativnost

Frequencyannual

Festival dates12.4.2024 - 14.4.2024

A visit to the construction site of the new production space in Ljubljana, Center Rog. Author: Pia Kreže

Every year, the largest architecture festival in Slovenia, Open House Slovenia Festival, allows architecture enthusiasts and members of the public to visit architectural projects across the country free of charge. The aim of the festival is to present examples of the best practices of contemporary Slovenian architectural production and important cultural heritage as part of Slovenian culture and national identity.

The OHS Festival is an annual three-day event that showcases over 80 architectural projects and open spaces, selected by an expert jury and viewed by visitors under the expert guidance of architects, investors, users and experts who have significantly contributed to the success of the project. Resident houses, public architecture, various renovations and sustainable architecture get to be presented in situ, with the visitors thus getting a much deeper insight into contemporary architectural practices as well as the related technologies.

Since 2013, the OHS Festival has been organised by Afront, Institute for spatial innovation, a non-governmental organisation that has been working for over ten years in the field of culture, popularising architecture and architectural heritage, and raising awareness of the importance of well-designed spaces in improving the quality of life. In 2012 it was awarded the Plečnik medal for Open House Slovenia initiative. In addition to the OHS Festival, the institute manages the OHS online platform, organizes cultural events and architectural exhibitions, runs the Invisible Houses project and records the podcast Odprto (Eng. Open).

The festival

For each rendition of the festival a committee of architecture, construction and spatial planning professionals chooses a selection of (relatively) new architectural works – private houses, educational or cultural institutions, business, sports, tourism and health facilities, open spaces, etc. Most often they were previously given various prizes, honourable mentions or were otherwise recognised as significant. These chosen works usually make up roughly half of the presented buildings (about a hundred of them each year), with the others being the ones already shown in the previous years. The latest contemporary architecture is featured alongside successful adaptations of historical buildings.

Organised tours are guided by the architects or building owners/users, with more than 300 architects, owners, event organisers and volunteers participating in the event every year. All events are free, with the visits to private houses needing to be pre-booked online.

A number of other events are featured during the festival – film screenings, city walks, workshops, lectures, exhibitions (in 2014, for example, one on the issues of architecture and sensory deprivation), and so on. Usually a part of the programme is also aimed at children.

Open House Slovenia - Experience exceptional Slovene architecture! by Open house Slovenia on YouTube

The biggest collection of Slovenian architecture

Over the years, the online platform Open House Slovenia has become the largest channel for contemporary Slovenian architecture. It encompasses over 950 projects, presented with photographs, information about authors and collaborators, and a description of the project's design. One can also browse through a list of select architectural studios with their references and contacts, and search through the companies that provide great services and products in the field of architecture and design.

Open House Worldwide network

Open House Worldwide is a network of 50 organisations hosting festivals and dialogue about architecture, design and cities across the globe. In 2019, almost 1 million people participated in Open House events with nearly 2 million visits to buildings enabled by more than 18,000 volunteers. Taken together, Open House Worldwide is the largest celebration of the urban landscape in the world. The network was founded and is administered by Open City, a charity registered in the United Kingdom.

See also

• Museum of Architecture and Design
• TrajekT, Institute for Spatial Culture

External links

• Open House Slovenia website
• Open House Worldwide network website