Bilbao, Spain
Open House BILBAO
5-6 October 2024
About Open House Bilbao
Bilbao joined in 2017 the Open House Worldwide family and during that weekend over 35,000 visits by the citizens were able to experience Bilbao from the inside.
Our city has historically been a very important industrial city, and in the last 25 years it has suffered a modellic urban transformation, which has lead to a deep improvement in the quality of life of its inhabitants. The way in which we move, use spaces, are realted and, in short, live has changed. The Bilbao River, as main character of this transformation has changed its looks by adding cultural centers, museums, opera houses... to its banks once occupied by factories; so now Bilbao has become an attractive city both for its citizens and visitors.
Nevertheless, many of the new buildings and spaces in town, leading the transformation, remain unknown for most "bilbainos and bilbainas". So here it comes OPEN HOUSE BILBAO, a festival addressed for every citizen that is somehow curious about their own city, a weekend in which the most important thing is to participate and the willingness to know more about Bilbao's architecture, urbanism and ultimately, its history.
Open House Bilbao's spirit is to open the city and the debate upon it to the people, a festival by and for the inhabitants that spreads through all the neighbourhoods involving students, seniors, families.
Bilbao has outstanding architecture to show, from the iconic new area of Abandoibarra (with the Iberdrola tower, the Guggenheim Museum and the Fine Arts Museum) to the more authentic aura of the Zorrozaurre and Begona districts. Each and every corner has something interesting to show that allows the festival to colonize the whole city.
But the city is not only made of buildings, so from Open House Bilbao we want people to know about their city also by telling the stories behind those buildings, those details and anecdotes that are often unknown. That way, we get to understand our city through its architecture and urbanism.
The buildings that open their doors include hotels, sports arenas, museums, private houses, office buildings, and theatres. With both classical and modern architecture, there's something special for everyone! Come and visit!