In its 6th edition, Open House Porto (OHP) welcomes the city of Maia, which joins Matosinhos, Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia for the major annual architecture festival organized by Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Centre for Architecture. To inform and guide visitors, applications to recruit 400 volunteers are open until April 20.
Following the massive success of the last edition—the most visited to date, drawing 37,578 visits to the 70 spaces that opened their doors for free in Matosinhos, Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia—the 6th Open House Porto has set its dates and introduces the inclusion of the municipality of Maia as its key highlight.
On July 4 and 5, a selection of 75 spaces will open their doors for free, showcasing the excellence of the architectural heritage of the four cities.
Organized and produced exclusively by Casa da Arquitectura (CA) - Portuguese Centre for Architecture, in strategic partnership with the Municipalities of Maia, Matosinhos (CMM), Porto (CMP), and Vila Nova de Gaia (CMVNG), Open House Porto aims to continue establishing itself as one of the most significant cultural events of the year.
The Executive Director of Casa da Arquitectura, Nuno Sampaio, welcomes the debut of Maia, “where there is very good architecture” and which is contiguous to the rest of the territory. The mayor of the municipality, António Silva Tiago, states: “We are thrilled that, for the first time, Maia is part of Open House Porto. There was mutual interest from both the Municipality and Casa da Arquitectura, and this alignment of wills brought about the opportunity. Now, we are curious to find out which buildings will be selected by the curators, confident that a territory as eclectic as Maia, where historic manor houses coexist with the most modern corporate facilities, will bring great value to Open House Porto.”
According to Nuno Sampaio, “this edition of Open House Porto reflects the exponential growth of interest in the event, expanding to a new city, increasing the number of spaces available for visits, and introducing new ways of experiencing architecture.”
To inform and guide visitors, applications to recruit 400 volunteers are open until April 20.
ABOUT OPEN HOUSE
Open House is an international event promoting architecture and built heritage, created in London by Victoria Thornton. With a history spanning over 20 years, the event currently extends to more than 40 cities worldwide, aiming to showcase and stimulate public interest in high-quality architecture through free visits to buildings from various eras and typologies, carefully selected for their architectural and historical relevance.
HOW OPEN HOUSE PORTO WORKS
The public is invited to create a visiting itinerary over the weekend. The locations have varying opening hours, and there are three types of visits: self-guided, guided by volunteers, and led by specialists. Most venues do not require reservations, so visits are organized on a first-come, first-served basis. However, due to their specific characteristics, some sites require pre-booking. The event relies on a large team of volunteers at each location to inform, advise, and guide the visits. A guide and a map of Open House Porto will be provided at each location.
The application form is available on the official event website or here.
UPDATE: THIS EDITION OF OPEN HOUSE PORTO HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 2021 AND WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 3 AND 4.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
