12th Open House Prague 2026

Open House Prague 2026

The 12th Open House Prague festival took place May 18–24, 2026. On the weekend of May 23–24, the festival opened 101 usually inaccessible buildings and spaces around Prague, including 19 new buildings in the program and 54 cultural monuments. On the weekdays, the festival offered 150 events as part of the accompanying program, including debates, special guided tours with architects and experts, lectures, and exhibitions. In total, the festival welcomed over 82,000 visitors. Like last year, the festival’s information center was located at Hybernská Campus. Here, visitors could learn more about the program or pick up souvenirs.

New Buildings & Anniversaries

One of this year’s central themes was the relationship between architectural preservation and urban development. The festival sparked a discussion on how historic buildings can keep pace with a growing metropolis. The festival featured several buildings that are not only undergoing renovation but also a change in function, and which will serve new purposes in their transformed forms – e.g. the Prague-Bubny Railway Station – Center for Memory and Dialogue, Libeň Brewery – Studio ALTA, Savarin Riding Hall, Háje Court, and Saukup Farmstead. Another theme of the festival was architecture in the service of social solidarity. Many of the buildings opened to the public served as living proof that architecture has its own tools for addressing the needs of individuals and contributing to the building of a cohesive society – e.g. Na Zatlance Grammar School, the buildings of the General University Hospital, Palata Home, and the Chodov and Nová slunečnice retirement homes.

The year 2026 marked several architectural anniversaries. The Great Strahov Stadium celebrated its 100th birthday, and we also commemorated 100 years since the birth of architect Zdeněk Kuna, one of the designers of the east grandstand in the 1960s. Another work from Kuna’s studio featured in the festival was the Strojimport building. We also commemorated the 150th anniversary of the birth of František Roith; from his architectural portfolio, the festival opened the mayor’s residence on Mariánské Square and one of the festival’s new additions, the Postal Check Office on Wenceslas Square. Another anniversary marked 170 years since the birth of Josef Fanta. Visitors could enter the Hlávka Dormitory and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. We also commemorated the same anniversary for Josef Sakař, whose legacy was represented in the program by the National House in Karlín.

Accompanying Program

One of the themes focused on the city’s transformations and the ways in which Prague is responding to current challenges. Visitors could take part in a bike tour tracing the transformations of Smíchov, a guided walk across the Dvorecký Bridge, a lecture on the future of the Žižkov Freight Station, a tour of the Prague Exhibition Grounds, or a walk dedicated to the upcoming Vltava Philharmonic Hall. Another theme focused on the preservation of architectural heritage and the search for new functions for historic buildings. It offered visitors a tour of the Panelárna cultural center and the Fuchs2 club, as well as a screening of the documentary Olympic Halftime in the stands of the Great Strahov Stadium. The program also included other lectures, themed walks, exhibitions, workshops, and guided tours. In collaboration with our partners, the 5th annual photo contest was also held, offering valuable prizes.

Architecture for Everyone

The Open House Prague festival traditionally also focuses on groups of citizens who are limited in exploring architecture due to their handicaps. In collaboration with our partners, we organized tours for people with hearing disabilities, which featured Czech Sign Language interpretation as well as simultaneous transcription, and tours for people with visual disabilities, where visitors could use tactile plans and 3D models of buildings. In total, these special tours were held at 12 buildings and attended by circa 135 visitors.

Program for Children

The festival offered families with children ten fun guided tours along with the creative Worksheets for Little Architects, which aim to disclose architectural terms and topics to children in a fun way. Some of the open buildings organized their own programs for children, whether during the weekly accompanying program, or on the weekend. Similarly to the festival’s past editions, we opened a free construction workroom in collaboration with our partner Czech RepuBRICK in the festival’s information center at Hybernská Campus. In total, the festival was attended by roughly 1,000 children.

Involvement of Volunteers

Around 600 volunteers participated in the 12th edition of the festival. The volunteer community is unique in its diverse makeup. It brings together high school and college students, people from various work fields, seniors, and entire families. Volunteer team leaders play a significant role, and their work begins approximately three months before the festival. This year, they led a total of 21 volunteer teams.

Our thanks go to everyone who participates in the volunteer program and helps our volunteers grow. Above all, however, we thank the hundreds of volunteers, the building staff, and everyone who was willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever it was needed. Their willingness, time, and dedication are the driving force behind the Open House Prague festival and what gives it its unique character. As a token of our appreciation, we invite our volunteers to visit selected buildings throughout the year as part of the volunteer program.

Open House Worldwide

Open House Prague is a proud member of Open House Worldwide, an international network of more than 60 cities on 6 continents where the Open House festivals are held. The concept of the festival originated in London in 1992 under the leadership of founder Victoria Thornton, who holds the Order of the British Empire. In 2020 and 2022, the network held collaborative online events that introduced unique architecture concepts from the member cities, including Open House Prague. Membership in the network alllows us to share experiences with other member cities, which helps us develop and improve the festival, as well as promote Prague internationally as an open cultural city.