Like many organisations in the creative industries, Open House Melbourne is making dramatic adjustments to the 13th Open House Melbourne Weekend announced for Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2020.
The 2020 program will not open the physical doors to the city’s most significant buildings, but instead it will unlock the incredible enthusiasm, creativity and knowledge of many building hosts, architects and designers who support the program year-on-year. 2020 will be a time for reflection, for contemplation, and for reimagining our city.
“It is an opportunity to ensure that the next generation of construction and of protection of our built environment centres around good design principles – providing long term financial value, protection of our precious environment, supportive of our needs, whilst creating inspiring and cherished spaces for us all to work and live in. Good design always needs to be an intrinsic part of all our built environment decisions,” says Tim Leslie, Interim Co-Executive Director of Open House Melbourne.
The digital program will engage online audiences in architecture and design events leading up to a hive of activity during the Open House Weekend. The program elements will include streamed live talks and presentations, including annual highlights like the Speaker Series, where a number of experts present their design process behind built outcomes, and the Heritage Address – a thought-provoking look at the role heritage plays in our cities presented in collaboration with the Heritage Council of Victoria.
The highlight of the 2020 digital Weekend will be the immersive experiences embedded throughout a program of virtual building tours. Special programming at return sites like Australian Tapestry Workshop, Jack’s Magazine, Villa Alba Museum and Waller House and more will be revealed in an exciting announcement that will reimagine some of the city’s much-loved heritage buildings.
The full program of buildings and digital events will be announced in July. Expect some familiar faces and hard to reach places. A predominantly digital Open House Melbourne experience provides a unique opportunity to do things differently; to engage with new collaborators and reach new audiences – no longer subject to large crowds, queues or inclement weather. In fact, the digital program will provide greater access and larger audiences to spaces once limited by opening hours, groups sizes or security concerns.
Open House Melbourne 2020 is a chance to experience the city from anywhere across Victoria, or around the world. It is a wonderful opportunity to share and celebrate one of the world’s most liveable cities. For more information, visit: www.openhousemelbourne.org for details.
Image: Jack’s Magazine, Maribyrnong – photo by Rohan Shearn