This October, Dublin is throwing open its doors. Open House Dublin, hosted by the Irish Architecture Foundation, returns from 11–19 October with free tours, talks and adventures in architecture. The theme this year is Future Heritage – exploring how the stories and spaces of today will shape the Dublin of tomorrow.
For nine days, hundreds of spaces across the city and county will welcome the public inside. This is your chance to step into places you’ve always wanted to see, meet the architects and communities behind them, and experience the city in a new way. From elegant historic interiors to cutting-edge contemporary buildings, from waterside walks to rooftop views, the festival is an open invitation to rediscover Dublin through design.
Experiences for Everyone
One of the most exciting things about Open House Dublin is its variety. You can find yourself exploring an iconic civic building in the morning, peeking inside a private home in the afternoon, and wrapping up the day with a conversation about how design shapes the city. Walking tours reveal hidden corners of Dublin’s streets and neighbourhoods, and architects invite you to visit their studios and see their creative process. The programme includes tactile tours, Irish Sign Language tours, sensory experiences, and tours and talks in the Irish language.
If you’re fascinated by architectural heritage, the festival is a chance to see how Dublin’s landmarks are being preserved and reimagined for modern life. If contemporary design excites you, you’ll find plenty of examples of how architecture is responding to the challenges of sustainability, accessibility and housing. And if you simply want to understand your own city better, there are outdoor tours that connect people, places and communities in new and surprising ways.
Architecture and Housing
Housing is one of the biggest conversations in Ireland today, and Open House Dublin provides a space to look at it through a new lens. Across the programme you’ll find tours of innovative housing projects, creative reuse of old buildings, and family homes that show how good design can transform everyday living. These tours ask us to imagine what it might look like to live well in Dublin now and in the future. By stepping inside homes, you’ll see how architects are responding to questions of space, community and affordability.
Fun for Families
The festival also invites our youngest architecture enthusiasts to Open House Junior, a dedicated weekend of workshops and hands-on activities for children, teens and families. LEGOⓇ challenges, playful walking tours, and creative workshops that spark the imagination. It’s a chance for young people to explore how cities work and to dream about how they might design the Dublin of the future.
Conversations and Ideas
Architecture is about more than buildings, it’s about people and ideas. That’s why Open House Dublin also hosts conversations, debates and exhibitions that delve into the issues shaping the city. This year, topics like diversity, demolition and democracy take centre stage, with architects, thinkers and communities gathering to share perspectives at the Open Table lunchtime conversation series. Exhibitions highlight activist voices and international movements.
As the Irish Architecture Foundation marks its 20th year, Open House Dublin is offering its most diverse and inclusive programme yet, with more than 200 free events. Whether you’re curious about the city’s past, concerned about its future, or looking for an inspiring day out, there’s something here for you.
All events are free, though many require booking in advance. The full programme is now live, with bookings opening on 24 September at 10am at www.openhousedublin.com.
Come for the buildings, stay for the conversations, and leave with a new way of seeing Dublin.
Lead image – Open House Dublin 2025. Photo by Rich Gilligan, courtesy Irish Architecture Foundation
