The 11th annual Open House Melbourne Weekend 2018 Program has been launched at Melbourne’s major new art museum – and Open House Weekend participant – Buxton Contemporary.
The program launch celebrates Open House Melbourne’s month of architecture, with an expanded program of events in July including major new exhibition The Australian Ugliness by Australian artist Eugenia Lim, and the RACV Tiny Home designed by architect and Open House Melbourne ambassador Peter Maddison.
On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July, a total of 220 buildings will open their doors to the public in the largest program Open House Melbourne (OHM) has ever presented. There are 70 new buildings in the program, as well as 24 residential properties and 81 buildings in the City of Melbourne.
The weekend footprint is spread far and wide across Melbourne, with buildings opening in Beaumaris, Narre Warren, Essendon, La Trobe, Ringwood and Frankston, as well as 5 buildings in the City of Greater Dandenong.
OHM’s new precinct partner Monash University will open 37 sites across the university’s Clayton, Caulfield, Parkville and Peninsula campuses. This new partnership signals an ongoing commitment by Monash to engage the public with their outstanding built environment and the changing face of education in Australia.
Eco warrior, designer and artist Joost Bakker will host a special walking tour of the new Stokehouse Precinct on Saturday 28 July at 10.30am. The new St Kilda precinct, which is home to Stokehouse – one of Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants – as well as Pontoon and Paper Fish reopened in late 2017 after a devastating fire burnt down the old Stokehouse in 2014. The new precinct is the first five-star green-star building of its type in Australia.
The iconic, highly sculptural Eureka Tower was the tallest residential building in the world at the time of its completion in 2006. Architects Fender Katsalidas will host exclusives tours of level 85, the final yet-to- be-fitted-out shell, which spans an entire floor of the tower, with uninterrupted 360-degree views through floor-to-ceiling windows.
For those who are interested in the residential program, Triangle House is sure to be a popular new addition to the program. Designed by architects Molecule Studio, the Triangle House is a thoughtful architectural response to a challenging site, creating a unique and small-footprint home for a family of 5. 5×4 Hayes Lane Project returns to the program after a break in 2017, demonstrating another impressive example of small-footprint living.
A large part of the program remains free and with no bookings necessary. For pre-booked tours though, the first release will go live on Friday 13 July at 8.30am until booked out. The second release will go live on Friday 20 July 8.30am until booked out – a small booking fee of $5 applies. Mark these dates in your calendar if you don’t want to miss out, as these tours book-out within hours.
The Open House Melbourne 2018 Printed Program will be available to purchase exclusively through Readings, either online or in-store at Carlton, Hawthorn, Malvern, St Kilda and the State Library stores from Wednesday 27 June. For the first time, OHM has partnered with The Age to produce a free mini Open House Melbourne Weekend program featuring highlights. Grab your free copy inside Spectrum on Saturday 7 July 2018.
The Open House Melbourne Weekend takes place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July 2018. For more information and to view the complete program, visit: www.openhousemelbourne.org for details.
Image: The Stokehouse Precinct – photo by John Gollings