2020 Open House Prague festival starts on September 1 with an accompanying program

29. 8. 2020
photo by Dušan Vondra

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sixth Open House Prague festival takes place under unusual circumstances this time. We are kicking off the festival on Tuesday, September 1 with an accompanying program.

“We decided to react to the current situation with a series of thematic events that expand the main program of the festival and allow visitors to experience architecture differently,” says Andrea Šenkyříková, director of the festival.

There is a variety of events prepared in various festival buildings. Our information center opens on Tuesday, September 1 at the Radost House where you can buy our printed festival guide. On the weekend of September 5 and 6, more than 70 buildings across Prague open for free, from historical and industrial buildings to modern offices and residential spaces.

Main program

The festival’s main program on the weekend features 30 buildings and spaces that are taking part in Open House Prague for the first time ever.

“We recommend that visitors use this opportunity and visit the buildings on the outskirts of the city as well, such as the districts of Ďáblice, Strašnice, or Nusle, where we tried to create pleasant walking routes,“ says Andrea Šenkyříková.

In Nusle you can look forward to the town hall, the brewery, Fidlovačka Theater, and the former Palace of Culture, now Congress Center Prague. As usual, we are also opening the city’s funerary architecture.

“We try to bring people to places with powerful stories, too. Thanks to guided tours of cemeteries, tombs, and crematoriums, we can remember the complicated history of our country and anchor our present existence better,” adds Andrea Šenkyříková.

This year’s theme route is dedicated to dilapidated buildings or spaces that are slowly coming back to life. The entry to all buildings and spaces is free and no registration is necessary.

You can plan your festival route on Mapy.cz where you can find all of the festival buildings if you search “open house praha” (on the website as well as in the mobile app which you can download here for free). If you create an account on Mapy.cz, you can plan and save your festival route through the function Moje mapy (“My maps”). The entire festival program is available at: https://www.openhousepraha.cz/en/festival-2.

Share your experiences and photos with us on social media!
#openhousepraha, #ohp2020, #bavimeto, #architekturaprovsechny

You can also add our Open House Prague 2020 frame to your profile picture on Facebook and be with us physically and virtually!

Cancelled buildings

Due to technical reasons, which in some cases ale related to complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the following buildings will not participate in the festival this year: Academy of Fine Arts in Prague – main building, Heroes House – main office of DBB Prague creative agency, Modern Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts, Petschek Palace – Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Třebešín Velodrome, and Zátka’s Soda Plant – main office of Ogilvy. We’re sorry about this, but don’t be sad, we still have 67 architecturally interesting spaces waiting for your visit. 🙂

Program for children

We aren’t forgetting about children either; they can play in a lego workroom at the Radost House in Žižkov which is opened for free during the entire festival weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be enough lego bricks for little as well as grown-up enthusiasts to build the house of their dreams. The littlest builders can play with duplo bricks. More information about the program for children is available at: https://www.openhousepraha.cz/en/festival-2/program-for-children/.

Information center

The festival’s information center is located at the Radost House, nám. Winstona Churchilla 1800/2, Prague 3, and it is open from September 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekend. You can find more practical information at: https://www.openhousepraha.cz/en/festival-2/practical-information/.

Safety measures

The operation of the buildings will be organized in accordance with the latest government regulations, and information will be available to visitors in advance on our website as well as directly in the buildings.

“In most of the buildings that are participating, tours take place continually, in groups of limited size, so visitors don’t need to be worried about their safety,” says Andrea Šenkyříková.

We keep the information regarding the safety measures for visitors updated at: https://www.openhousepraha.cz/en/safety/.

Thank you for respecting the safety measures!

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