Come in and see.
Open Doors Engadin will once again open its doors on June 24 and 25, 2023, under the motto "Architecture for All" and provide insights into more than 80 selected buildings from a wide range of eras. What makes us particularly proud as a partner of Open Doors Engadin is that our newly renovated office at Via Serlas 23 in St. Moritz will act as a festival hub and thus be able to make a significant contribution to the success of this great architectural event.
For the second time, Open Doors Engadin invites you to take a look behind the scenes: Legendary hotel buildings, picturesque Engadine houses, modern apartment buildings, churches, school buildings, infrastructure buildings, museums and architects' studios open their doors to the public. Among them are numerous buildings that are otherwise not accessible to the public, or only to a limited extent. The buildings, their architects and the history behind them provide new perspectives on the region - from the Bergell-Italian border village of Castasegna to the entire Upper Engadine and S-chanf. The free architecture event has over 80 buildings in its 2023 portfolio. A full third of the buildings are new compared to last year. This season's highlights include, for example, the Art Nouveau Hotel Grace La Margna in St. Moritz, the legendary Art Nouveau hotel that will celebrate its rebirth as a boutique hotel in summer 2023. In Pontresina, visitors can tour the newly opened 4-star Hotel Maistra 160, the work of renowned Graubünden architect Gion A. Caminada, and in St. Moritz there is the rare opportunity to walk through a striking apartment building by the architectural firm of Pablo Horváth, whose towering form is reminiscent of the residential tower typology from the late Middle Ages that occurs throughout the Grisons. Simple, but nevertheless architecturally a throw is the studio Cascina Garbald in Castasegna of the architect Armando Ruinelli.
In addition, there is the last chance to visit the Julier Tower: The temporary theater house made entirely of wood in the spectacular landscape of the Julier Pass is to remain in place only until August 2023.
Convey architecture and raise awareness.
The aim is to give interested people access behind otherwise closed doors during a weekend. As a mediation offer, Open Doors Engadin thus contributes to anchoring knowledge about architecture and its importance for the development of our living spaces in the public. In addition, the event aims to promote dialogue between professionals and lay people, between building users and those interested in architecture, between residents of the region and visitors, and to enable everyone to participate in the public discussion. "We are extremely pleased that "Open Doors Engadin" will continue after last year's success. It shows that the region's residents and homeowners are not closed-minded, but joyfully want to share the cultural and architectural heritage of Engadin and Bergell," explains Christoph Oggenfuss, co-initiator of the event and president of the non-profit association behind it. This year, St. Moritz is sponsoring the ambitious project as patron municipality.
Christian Jott Jenny, president of the municipality of St. Moritz, explains: "As this year's patron municipality, we support Open Doors Engadin in making our architectural heritage accessible to the public. Both privately owned and publicly owned, St. Moritz is home to true architectural cultural treasures, through which locals and guests can get to know and appreciate the special features of our townscape in a new way." The circle of experts and friends that supports the "Open Doors Engadin Association" with expertise and commitment numbers around 40 members. Camilla Minini, architect ETH; director&curator Engadin Museum says about the architectural particularity in the valley: "The architecture of the Maloja region reflects the landscape in which it stands. Here, architecture has a strong functional as well as narrative side."
Explore the buildings independently or with guided special tours.
Visitors have various possibilities to experience "Open Doors Engadin". One can individually select individual buildings via the gallery, the schedule or the interactive map of the Open Doors Engadin website and drop by there depending on the opening time. In addition, guided architectural walks are offered in the villages of the Upper Engadine, each of which takes a closer look at about five buildings. The third offer is the Open Doors SPECIALS with thematic tours of outstanding architectural personalities, for example with a Bruno Giacometti specialist. Or the architectural walking tour with visits to buildings in the Fex Valley with architect Nicola Nett. At www.opendoors-engadin.org, there are opening hours, guided tours and additional information on the individual buildings with links to Google Maps that lead "turn by turn" directly to the destination.
With the help of various filters, visitors can put together an individual tour by marking their favorite program points. The program will be continuously updated from the end of March. Many of the tours have a limited number of places, and the necessary reservations can be made from the end of May. In the spirit of promoting architectural discourse, the tours, walks and specials are free of charge for all participants.
