Take a look inside the city’s ANZ Gothic Bank, the Egyptian-inspired tomb of The Age proprietor David Syme, heritage-listed artist studios, Port Philip’s new Eco Centre and much more. Plus, take part in a citywide role-playing game using augmented reality.
Open House Melbourne, Australia’s largest architecture festival, has returned for its 18th year, opening up many of the city’s disused and closed-door buildings to the public for free. Open House, which began in London in 1992, now takes place in over 50 major cities around the world, with the aim of making architecture more accessible and encouraging conversations around urban design.
Over one weekend, Open House is granting rare public access to some of Melbourne’s most exciting buildings, including heritage sites, sustainability projects, sports facilities, artist studios, train stations, residential homes and even Werribee Zoo. The program features almost 200 events spanning interactive exhibits, guided walking tours, talks and more. There’ll also be an exclusive look behind the scenes at some of the city’s future developments.
This year, the festival has also partnered with Maptivate and Architect & Access to build an access map for the program, which features 12 sites that are accessible and cater to neurodiverse visitors.
With so much to choose from, here are some stand-out program highlights to check out.
Valley Lake Walking Tour
A former quarry used in the 1940s to 1970s, this Moonee Valley site has been redeveloped into housing set within an incredible, dramatic landscape. Hear from Friends of Steele Creek on what they’re doing to increase biodiversity in the area and take of the environment, plus how the site’s industrial past informs its current design.
Valley Lake Boulevard, Kelior East
Port Phillip Eco Centre
Get a look at the redeveloped Port Phillip Eco Centre and explore its sustainable design features. It’ll be your first opportunity to get a glance inside before it officially opens.
55A Blessington Street, St Kilda
Donkey Wheel House
To see what the city once was, visit Donkey Wheel House for a historic tour of Melbourne’s old Tramway and Omnibus Company headquarters. The 1890s Venetian Gothic-style building will also host an art exhibition by Jump Left, an arts enterprise working at the intersection of art and disability. Stop by and check it out before heading on a short heritage tour of the building. Outside, expect live performances and street food.
673 Bourke Street, Melbourne
ANZ Gothic Bank
This year, the ANZ Gothic Bank is opening its doors once again. Take a self-guided tour inside the main bank building and Verdon Chambers (the former residence of ES&A Bank Governor Sir George Verdon) to experience some of the city’s best Gothic-Revival architecture featuring original mosaics, ornate 23-karat gold leaf stencilling and more.
388 Collins Street, Melbourne
Reworlding Naarm
Jump ahead to 2050 and explore Melbourne through a citywide role-playing game. Reworlding Naarm is a two-hour collaborative tour of Melbourne’s inner city through immersive activities and augmented reality. Players are invited to re-imagine what the city might look like as a collective and reflect on the future of the its urban design.
Meeting point: 141 Therry Street, Melbourne
Essendon Incinerator Complex
Take a tour of the last standing waste incinerator in Victoria designed Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin – now an art gallery. Guests visiting the Incinerator Gallery can expect a guided walkthrough of the facility, including a discussion of the building’s history and significance. Open House’s flagship exhibition The Playground Project is also hosted here.
180 Holmes Road, Aberfeldie
A Monumental Egyptian Tomb
Find the 1910-built Egyptian-inspired tomb of Age proprietor David Syme, one of the world’s first media tycoons. It’s a miniature replica of Trajan’s Kiosk on Agilkia Island in Egypt. There’ll be a talk and an on-site examination of the tomb as well.
430 High Street, Kew
VAS Gallery
Get in touch with your creative side and wander through the historic building that houses the Victorian Artists Society (VAS). The society was founded in 1870 by a group of impressionist painters and you can find their original studio at the centre of the building. View the 9×5 exhibition, an ode to the original 1889 show by VAS artists Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Charles Conder, who painted on cigar box lids that were 9 inches by 5 inches in size.
430 Albert Street, East Melbourne
ACMI
Immerse yourself behind the scenes in ACMI’s Blackmagic Design Media Preservation Lab. Tour groups are invited to hear from its conservators and learn about media preservation processes. Plus, catch a screening. Choose from local stories, home-movie compilations or a documentary film on Melbourne’s Underground Rail Loop.
ACMI, Feds Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
[Como House]
Known to many as “the white house on the hill”, and usually only open for paid guided tours, Como House is opening its doors to everyone for free during Open House Melbourne. Take the opportunity to explore the Armytages’ former family mansion at your own pace, including the original servants’ quarters.
20 Como Avenue, South Yarra
Discover the full program here.
openhousemelbourne.org
