The International Phenomenon – Open House – is Coming to Copenhagen

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Presseansvarlig Johanne Troelsgaard Toft
jott@dac.dk
+45 6142 1927

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Danish Architecture Center, in collaboration with the City of Copenhagen and Bevica Fonden, proudly reveals one of the big signature events taking place in connection with Copenhagen’s official designation as World Capital of Architecture for 2023. Open House Copenhagen invites everyone inside buildings typically closed to the public and behind the walls of everything from palaces to secret technical installations we had no idea existed. The event is free and is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors over the weekend of March 25–26, 2023.

Open House is an international concept that started 30 years ago in London. Today, Open House weekends are held in more than 50 cities around the world, and now, for the first time, in Denmark, too.

“We are delighted that Copenhagen has finally become part of the Open House family in collaboration with Danish Architecture Center. Architecture is a universal language that we can all relate to at a fundamental level in terms of how it makes us feel: Do we feel happy, safe, discomfort or alienation? Copenhagen is packed with secret places featuring fantastic architectural experiences, fascinating neighborhoods and wonderful communities. We’re very much looking forward to inviting everyone inside in 2023,” says Phineas Harper, director of Open City and Open House Worldwide, and columnist at Dezeen.

New Perspectives on Architecture

At Open House Copenhagen, it will be possible to come close to Copenhagen’s fantastic architecture and hear the many stories hidden in its bricks and concrete. With more than 40 open buildings on the program, participants can visit everything from beautiful palaces and fascinating power plants to private homes, and experience the tides of history or contemporary architects’ own takes on how we should live.

“Architecture is not just about famous architects and beautiful opera houses – it is also the well-designed daycare center or a repurposed factory. But we aren’t necessarily able to go in and experience these types of architecture. At Open House Copenhagen on March 25–26, everyone is invited inside to see the buildings that we otherwise only know from the outside. We hope that lots of people will take this opportunity to experience our city from the inside and gain new perspectives on the architecture around us,” says Tanya Lindkvist, program director at Danish Architecture Center.

A Clear Mission: Accessible to Everyone

The mission of Open House is to open architecture up to everyone. But even when the doors are open, not all buildings are accessible – for example, for people with baby carriages, walking impairments or wheelchairs. The collaboration with Danish foundation Bevica Fonden seeks to increase accessibility in the built environment and promote better understanding of universal design:

“With Open House, we strive to make architecture more open and accessible for the enjoyment and benefit of more people. Universal design is about inclusiveness and ensuring equal access for as many people as possible – something an event like this can help us all to be more aware of. The program will include an extra informative layer where we describe the accessibility of each building, but also where we explore how inaccessible buildings can be made more inclusive,” explains Marianne Kofoed, director of Bevica Fonden.

A Sample from the Program

Danish Architecture Center collaborates with, among others, Karberghus, which owns a number of Copenhagen’s beautiful historical buildings. They will be opening the doors to Zieglers Gaard, the Rococo-style building where one of the most influential people in Danish history, N.F.S. Grundtvig, lived in the 1850s. It will also be possible to visit Brønnum Hus on Kongens Nytorv, where Hans Christian Andersen once spent time, and which is home to a unique Japanese gilt-leather tapestry and a summery frieze painted by one of Denmark’s renowned Skagen Painters.

Danish Architecture Center is looking forward to hosting Open House Copenhagen in 2023, when the city is World Capital of Architecture, and to carry on the concept for years to come as a regular Copenhagen event.

Open House Copenhagen is developed by Danish Architecture Center in collaboration with the City of Copenhagen and with support from Bevica Fonden and Karberghus.

About Danish Architecture Center 

The Danish Architecture Center is an international cultural attraction that creates engaging events and sparks debate about architecture and design. Here you can experience exhibitions, tours, events, shop designer products and enjoy the spectacular view of the city from the café’s large rooftop terraces.  

Its financial foundation is a public private partnership between Realdania and the Danish government, represented by the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of the Interior and Housing.

About Open House

  • It’s held in more than 50 cities around the world.
  • It began 30 years ago in London.
  • London is still the largest Open House city with more than 200,000 visitors every year.
  • In 2019, nearly 1 million visitors attended Open House events around the world, with nearly 2 million visits.
  • This makes Open House Worldwide the largest architecture event in the world.
  • Open House is hosted by different organizations in each city, which are all part the Open House network.
  • In Copenhagen, Open House is hosted by Danish Architecture Center.

About the World Capital of Architecture

  • Open House is being launched as part of the World Capital of Architecture.
  • Copenhagen has been designated the World Capital of Architecture for 2023 by UNESCO.
  • This will be celebrated with an extensive festival program entitled “Copenhagen in Common”.
  • The City of Copenhagen is responsible for the program and Danish Architecture Center is the primary partner, together with the International Union of Architects (UIA).
  • The World Congress of Architects, organized by the UIA, will take place on July 2–6.
  • For more information, please visit copenhagenincommon.kk.dk