Open House Slovenia Architecture Festival 2025, Future Heritage April 11–13, 2025
26/03/2025
The event is held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia,
Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar.
Open House Slovenia (OHS) Architecture Festival will open the doors to quality Slovenian architecture across the country for the sixteenth year in a row. Taking place from April 11 to 13, the festival will offer the general public free guided tours of more than 70 architectural projects of various typologies, led by experts.
The aim of the OHS Festival is to promote responsible spatial planning. Through first-hand experience, the festival seeks to bring the values of quality architecture closer to everyone and to encourage active participation in the dialogue about our built environment. It highlights examples of good practices that offer solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges.
This year's festival program was selected from submitted proposals by a professional jury composed of five experts in the field of architecture and design: Tina Gregorič (architect and professor), Ana Grk (architect), Jure Henigsman (architect and researcher), Andraž Keršič (architect, researcher, curator, and educator), and Mateja Kurir (philosopher and researcher).
“Architecture can only truly be understood when experienced in person. The OHS Festival is a remarkable opportunity that allows everyone to freely visit private homes, offices, institutions, or key landmarks of Slovenian architectural history. It’s only when we experience these spaces at a 1:1 scale that we can satisfy our spatial curiosity. The value of the festival goes beyond the experience of good architecture, as it also reflects the spirit of the time through the presentation of current architectural production. Normally inaccessible buildings offer both professionals and the general public a deeper appreciation of the creative potential of architects and the culture of quality construction.”
— Andraž Keršič on the significance and role of the Open House Slovenia Festival
The central theme of this year’s festival is Future Heritage. It reconsiders the concept of heritage in the context of space and architecture—its meaning, evaluation, and relevance for the future. It invites visitors to explore buildings and spaces and discover the stories they tell. The festival highlights innovative approaches to preservation, the balance between respecting tradition and local character, and responding to the complex challenges of the contemporary world.
It also raises the essential question of which practices of today will become tomorrow’s legacy. The spaces and architecture we create today will shape the historical understanding and identity of future generations. By encouraging dialogue and critical reflection between festival visitors and project authors, this year’s OHS festival seeks to deepen the understanding of architecture’s role in shaping our shared future.
In 2025, the OHS Festival also joins the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Slovenian architect Max Fabiani. Selected guided tours within the festival program will highlight his work. In Ljubljana, visitors will be able to participate in an architectural walk through Fabiani’s Ljubljana and visit the Mladika building, while in Štanjel, a guided tour of the Ferrari Garden will be organized.
Festival participants will also have the opportunity to visit private apartments, single-family houses, educational and cultural institutions, as well as business and tourist buildings. At Dvor near Žužemberk, visitors can explore the renovation of the Auersperg Ironworks, now housing the Natura 2000 Interpretation and Information Center. The KO-RA Center for the Elderly in Ravne na Koroškem will also open its doors. In the Gorenjska region, visitors can tour the stunning Alpine Houses and the Entrance Pavilion to the Vintgar Gorge. The program will also include a site visit to the Rotovž Center construction site in Maribor and a guided tour of the Ankaran Cemetery. In Celje, visitors will be invited to view the renovated Pelikan Photo House and take a walk along the Castle Paths, all guided by architects.
As part of the central theme Future Heritage, the organizers also plan several thematic events throughout the year. The first will be the “Spaces of the State” festival weekend (May 16–18). This special program is being developed in collaboration with this year’s invited OHS curator—architect, curator, and publicist, Assist. Prof. Dr. Miloš Kosec. In June, a visit to the Slovenijales building is planned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of architect Milan Mihelič, one of the key figures of Slovenian modernist architecture.
The full Open House Slovenia 2025 festival program is published on the OHS online platform. Tour registrations are mandatory and will be open from April 2.
Since February 2023, Open House Slovenia has been a partner in the European project Open House Europe, which connects 15 European cities and Slovenia. The project aims to encourage a more inclusive debate on architecture as a shared European identity and empower citizens to advocate for a well-designed built environment. It promotes accessibility and highlights architectural best practices that respond to contemporary environmental and social challenges.