Open House was founded in London in 1992 with the aim of making architecture more accessible and understandable to people outside the profession. This initiative grew into Open House Worldwide, a network of 60 organisations hosting festivals and encouraging dialogue about architecture, design, and cities across the globe.

One of the network’s key initiatives is an annual event during which buildings open their doors to the public free of charge for one weekend, inviting visitors to explore the urban environment and discover the architecture and history of different buildings.

On 9-11 October 2026, Open House Tallinn offered a glimpse inside nearly 40 buildings, including public buildings, private homes, construction sites, and intriguing office and industrial buildings, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. The programme offered guided tours catering to visitors of different ages and interests. What makes these visits particularly special is that the tours are developed with contributions from people who have a close connection to the buildings themselves.

For the second consecutive year, the newly renovated National Library of Estonia also opened its doors, offering regular guided tours of the building and this time also a particularly special experience, a specially designed audio-described tour for blind and visually impaired visitors. Instead of relying on visual impressions, participants experienced the architecture through their other senses – listening to the sounds of the spaces, feeling different surfaces and architectural details with their hands, and discovering the building by moving through it.

The participants’ curiosity about everything around them was both contagious and heartwarming. They explored the textures and shapes of walls, books, ceilings, arches, and other details, gradually building their own mental picture of the library and its spaces.

There were so many questions and so much joy of discovery that what was originally planned as a 1.5-hour tour turned into a full two-hour journey through the renewed National Library of Estonia. The tour was also a valuable learning experience for the library, offering new insights and inspiration as we continue working to make our building as accessible and welcoming as possible to everyone.

Watch a short video about the Open House Tallinn tour at RaRa on their YouTube channel!