Nicosia is getting its own Open House festival this April — and for one weekend, the city’s most architecturally significant buildings will throw open their doors for free.

Open House Nicosia, taking place on 18 and 19 April, is the first edition of the globally recognised festival to be held in Cyprus. Visitors will be able to walk into selected public and private buildings for guided tours led by volunteers and professionals, join themed architectural walks, and explore spaces that are normally off-limits — all without booking or paying.

The event is organised by the NGO Voices of the City – Open House Nicosia, after being granted rights by the international cultural initiative Open House Worldwide. An organising committee of 19 volunteers has been preparing the first edition.

The Open House concept began in London in 1992 and has since spread to more than 60 cities worldwide. Founding members Angelos Siamaris, Christiana Kyperounta and Stelios Theodorou say they have followed the festival for years — attending as visitors and volunteers in other countries, mainly Greece — before deciding Cyprus was ready for its own edition.

“We believe Cyprus has a significant architectural heritage that deserves to be brought to a wider audience,” they said.

The founders are candid about what they hope to change. Conversations about architecture in Cyprus, they say, tend to stay within professional circles despite the efforts of organisations such as ETEK and SAK. Open House, they argue, is a chance to change that — not by lecturing people, but by making the city more open and participatory.

“Unlike other events where you have to book a spot and pay in advance, during Open House weekend someone can simply be walking around Nicosia with their family or friends, spot a building offering tours and just go in,” they said.

The festival is deliberately accessible. The founders describe their core message not as a statement but as a provocation: they want visitors to start thinking about how architecture could help them live better at home, work better in their workplace, and experience their city not merely as passive observers trying to get through the day, but as people who genuinely enjoy it.

Buildings for the first edition were selected through an open call — open to any architect or owner with a building they felt had something architecturally meaningful to say — alongside targeted invitations drawn up by the organising committee. The aim is to represent a broad range of architectural quality across different periods and styles, giving a platform to both emerging and established architects.

Nicosia, the founders say, is well-suited to host the festival. Its architectural identity has been shaped by thousands of years of history — Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian, Ottoman and British periods have all left their mark — while recent years have brought new projects and urban interventions that are continuously redefining the city’s contemporary character.

The festival also wants to shift how people look at buildings. Most of the time, the founders note, we examine architecture through a historical lens. Rarely do we ask what the architect was thinking when they made a particular decision, or how that decision affects the experience of the people who use the space. Open House, they say, puts those questions front and centre.

Volunteers are central to the festival. Those wishing to take part can apply through the open call, which closes on 28 February.

Source: https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/whats-on/open-house-nicosia-2026-free-architecture-tours-april/