Bristol’s annual Bristol Open Doors festival returns next weekend, allowing participants to discover the secrets of 101 fascinating buildings around the city.
Expert-led tours will offer glimpses inside buildings never or rarely seen by the public – with the opportunity to discover heritage spaces, forgotten places and innovative design.
Produced by the Architecture Centre, Bristol’s centre for design and creative placemaking, the weekend offers the chance to get behind closed doors and meet the designers and engineers changing the face of the city.
Thirty-five new events have joined the citywide programme this year, with highlights including:
A first look at the multi-million pound renovation of the Bristol Old Vic
Walks and tours with the makers of large-scale new developments including Paintworks, Wapping Wharf, and the General
Novel ways of appreciating Bristol’s buildings, including boat tours, sketch-walks and stand up paddle board (SUP) tours
An immersive experience called Late Night Blues, recreates the now lost shebeens and a seminal moment in the history of Black Britain
The chance to learn about the growing movement of self-build housing at the Courtyard, the Yard, and We Can Make Home
A full Fantastic for Families programme of hands on creative workshops including building a 17-metre replica of Severn Bridge at Bridge the Gap and gorilla placemaking at Bristol Rocks.
Architecture Centre director Anna Rutherford said: “Bristol Open Doors is a huge civic event. Together, we celebrate the past, present and future of our city. As citizens it’s our opportunity to engage with the very fabric and stories of Bristol. At a time when it feels as though some doors are closing on people, we’re excited to be throwing them open. There’s something for everyone.”
With so much going on, the festival has curated three ‘highlight’ strands to guide you through the festival this year. The first, New Bristol Architecture showcases new design projects in the city.
Second, the innovative feats of city engineers are championed in the Engineering in Focus strand. While how we make Bristol a liveable and enjoyable place to live, work and place is explored in the third strand, Places for People.
For full programme information, visit bristolopendoors.org.uk
