Brisbane Open House Explained

Genre:Open day
Frequency:Annual
Location:Brisbane, Queensland
Next:2025
Participants:50-120 buildings
Attendance:25,000-33,000

Brisbane Open House (BOH) is a free annual event providing residents and visitors with the rare opportunity to discover the hidden wealth of architecture, engineering and history in buildings and places around Brisbane city. Selected buildings are open to the public with guided and self-guided tours encouraging visitors to explore, re-examine and engage with Brisbane’s built environment. The experience opens people’s eyes and minds to good design and curious spaces.

The event is organised by the Queensland Government Architect, the Brisbane Development Association, and the National Trust of Queensland.[1] It is supported by the Brisbane City Council and a range of program and practice partners and friends of Brisbane Open House.

Brisbane Open House is part of the Open House Worldwide annual cultural event.[2]

History

The inaugural Brisbane Open House took place on 2 October 2010, and featured 20 buildings[3] in the CBD and South Bank. More than 12,000 people attended. In 2011 the event expanded to 30 buildings and included Fortitude Valley. The 2012 event featured 51 buildings and attracted 33,000 visitors.[4] The 2013 event expanded to 71 buildings presented over a two-day weekend.[5] The 2014 event featured 89 buildings.[6]

2015

New buildings open to the general public for the first time were:

2016

The 2016 event expanded to 100 buildings with large number of new buildings open to the general public for the first time:

2019

In 2019, the tenth anniversary, BOH attracted 80,000 visits across 119 sites.

2020-21

In 2020 and 2021 the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant the planned 2020 and 2021 events had to be cancelled.[7] Instead, Brisbane Open House created year-round offerings for smaller groups of participants. And 2022 marked some exciting changes to the well-loved event with the introduction of an Iconic Precinct to the BOH weekend and the addition of an annual Villages of Brisbane [VOB] event.

2022

In 2022, Brisbane Open House partnered with Aria Property Group to celebrate the Fish Lane Arts Precinct by offering guided walking tours.

2024

For the 2024 event, BOH once agained open a range of buildings and spaces to the public, with a geo-focused program across the Brisbane CBD and New Farm, as well as the introduction of an inaugural Speaker Series.

Villages of Brisbane (VOB)

Our inaugural VOB celebrated Sandgate & Shorncliffe where many local buildings and places were open to the public, but it also featured a speaker series in the Sandgate Town Hall, as well as a number of walking tours and activations. In 2023 the Iconic Precinct showcased the heritage gems and state-of-the-art medical labs of Herston Health & Heritage. In 2024, the inner-city suburb of New Farm was celebrated as the Village of Brisbane.

Participating buildings

Building2010 2011 20122013201420152016201720182019
480 Queen Streetxxx
4ZZZxxx
ABC Brisbane Centrexxxxxxx
All Saints Anglican Churchx x xxx xxx
Archerfield Airportxxxx
Boggo Road Gaolxxxx
Brisbane City Hallx x xxxx xxx
Brisbane General Post Officex
Brisbane Polo Club – Naldham Housexx
Brisbane Powerhousexxx
Brisbane Squarex x x xxxx
Commissariat Storexxxxxxx xxx
Customs Housex x x xxxx
Ecosciences Precinctxxxx xx
Fernberg, Government Housexx xxx
Fort Lytton Historic Military Precinctxxxx
xx
Griffith Film Schoolxxxxxxx
HASSELL Studio Warry Stx x xx
Howard Smith Wharvesxxxxxx
x x x
Lady Cilento Children's Hospitalx
x x xxxx xxx
x x x xx xx xx
Mercy Heritage Centre, 547 Ann Streetxxxx
Miegunyah House Museumxxxxxx
National Australia Bank, 308 Queen Streetx x x xx xx
National Trust House, 95 William Stx x xx
Naval Offices, Edward Stxx
Newstead Housexxxxxxx
Old Bishopsbourne and Old Bishopsbourne Chapelxxxxx
Old Government Housexxxxxxx xxx
Old Museum Brisbanexxx
x xx
xx x
x x x xxx xxx
Port of Brisbanexxx xxx
Princess Theatre, 8 Annerley Road, Woolloongabbaxx
xxxx x
x xxxx
xx
xxx
Queensland Emergency Operations Centrex
x x xxxx
Queensland Herbariumxxxxx
x x xxxx xxx
x x xxxx
Queensland Performing Arts Centrex x x xx xxxx
Queensland Tennis Centrex
QUT Science and Engineering Centre, Gardens Point campusxxx
x xx
Roma Street Fire Station, 279 Upper Roma Streetx xxxx xxx
Roma Street Station Heritage Buildingxx
x x x x
x xxxxx
Spring Hill Bathsxxxx
St Andrew's Uniting Churchxxxxxxx xxx
xxxxxxx xxx
xx xxxx
x x x xx xx xxx
Tara House – Irish Club, 175 Elizabeth St x xx
Tattersalls Club, 215 Queen Stx x x xx xx x
x xx xxxxx
Translational Research Institute, 37 Kent Street, Wooloongabbaxx xxxxx
x x x xx xx xxx
x x
xxxx
Walter Taylor Bridgexxxxxx
XXXX Breweryx

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Brisbane Open House. Brisbane Development Association. 3 December 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110706124242/http://www.bda.org.au/files/pictures/BDA%2009-10%20Year%20in%20Review%20-%20FINAL%20.pdf. 6 July 2011.
  2. News: Brisbane Open House. Green Building Council of Australia. 4 October 2012.
  3. News: Brisbane's architectural marvels revealed in Open House scheme . Phil Hammond . 27 September 2013 . 1 October 2010 . The Courier-Mail . Queensland Newspapers .
  4. Web site: 2012 Brisbane Open House. brisbane open house . 14 February 2013.
  5. Web site: 2013 Brisbane Open House. brisbane open house. 11 September 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130909050807/http://brisbaneopenhouse.com.au/2013-buildings. 9 September 2013.
  6. Web site: BOH 2014 Buildings. Brisbane Open House. 11 September 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140911105439/http://brisbaneopenhouse.com.au/2014-buildings. 11 September 2014.
  7. Web site: Walking Tours | Brisbane Open | Cultural Tours.

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