Architecture Days 2008

Under the motto "experiencing architecture", the Architecture Days 2008 (Architekturtage 2008) invited all Austrians to excursions, bus tours, events, open studios, discussions, film screenings, and festivities.

The program aimed to make architecture - understood in a broad sense of the built and designed environment - accessible to a wide spectrum of the interested public, enabling people to easily experience it's various facets. More than 1000 program events took place throughout all nine federal provinces of Austria. Excursions to Bratislava, Liechtenstein, and eastern Switzerland were also organized. A total of over 600 buildings were viewed, studied, and discussed.

The Architecture Days 2008 also placed special emphasis upon informing about the possibilities and opportunities that architecture now has available to ensure that the world's resources are cared for responsibly.

There were several opportunities to personally view new housing estates and rooftop apartments. Directly experiencing modern ways of living is the best way to learn about new concepts and to begin questioning conventional beliefs within an engaging and relaxed atmosphere.

For the first time a rich and varied children and young adults program was organized. During more than 40 exciting events, children and young adults of all ages could actively and creatively discover architecture. In Vienna, more than 250 children and young adults came together in the Museumsquartier to build their own island, design a movie set, test the carrying capacity of a homemade bridge, and design their own box town.

Over a quarter more visitors, approximately 28,000 participated. In Vienna, there was over a third more interest in events. More than 2,700 Viennese participated in a total of 64 Vienna tours and learned about current urban design and architectural developments in their direct living environment during neighborhood tours.

The next Architecture Days will take place in 2010.