Open House Roma

What Open House Roma does

Open House Roma is the Rome chapter of the Open House Worldwide architecture festival, operated by Open City Roma APS, an Italian nonprofit association (Associazione di Promozione Sociale) headquartered in Rome. Its core product is an annual, free, volunteer-led festival (OHR) that opens architecturally significant buildings to the public; the OHR26 edition is scheduled for May 16-24, 2026, and editions have run annually since 2012 (OHR12-OHR25 documented, with OHR26 in 2026). The organization also runs OHR365, a year-round program of paid visits to privately owned or normally inaccessible sites such as Villa La Saracena, Casa L'Ammonite, and Casa Albero, and a volunteer ("Openhouser") program that trains Archi-tellers and Site Assistants and offers CFU/CFA academic credit to student volunteers.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: a Drupal-based website (openhouseroma.org) serves as the program hub and newsletter signup point, Eventbrite handles ticketing and registration for special visits, and PayPal supports one-off donations. Marketing is concentrated on owned digital channels (Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, email newsletter) and earned media through partnerships with Platform Architecture, Roma Today, Antenna 1, Romeing, and Noi di Roma.

The revenue model blends several small streams: EUR 15 per-ticket fees on special architectural visits, Fan (EUR 30) and Together (EUR 60) annual supporter packages bundled with benefits like the Mapzine PDF, OHR365 visits, and tastings, Eventbrite transaction fees, and PayPal donations. Institutional and corporate sponsorship underpins the model, with Comune di Roma and Biblioteche di Roma as institutional supporters, Anas as Main Partner for OHR26, and Official Partners including Florim, Marazzi, Mobilnovo, Orsolini, and Ponzio. A new sub-brand, INSULAE – Le isole del design, launched in May 2026 to serve architects and interior designers with training, talks, and exhibits, signaling modest product-surface expansion rather than geographic expansion: the operating geography remains Lazio, Italy.

Name

Open House Roma

Legal name

Open City Roma APS

Website

https://openhouseroma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open House Roma is an Italian nonprofit (Open City Roma APS) that runs an annual volunteer-led architecture festival in Rome, year-round OHR365 visits to normally inaccessible buildings, and a new INSULAE design-industry program, funded by ticket sales, supporter packages, donations, and corporate sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Events

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Architecture festival
• Cultural events
• Heritage tours
• Urban exploration
• Design programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Special Visit Tickets: Revenue from paid guided tours of architectural sites not normally open to the public, typically €15 per ticket with student discounts available.
2. Support Packages (Fan and Together): Fan package at €30 offering mapzine, 20% discount on Casa d'Autore entries, and OHR365 visits; Together package at €60 with additional benefits including special event access with tastings.
3. Eventbrite Transaction Fees: Booking fees from ticket sales through Eventbrite platform for special visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Open House Roma organizes the annual Open House Roma architecture festival, a free weekend event that opens historically and architecturally significant buildings across Rome to the public. The organization complements the flagship festival with a year-round cultural program called OHR365, which includes talks, walks, and curated initiatives such as the INSULAE - Le isole del design sub-brand focused on design heritage on Rome's Tiber Island. Paid supporting offerings include individual memberships (Fan at €30 and Together at €60) and special architectural visits priced at €15.

Product overview

Open House Roma operates primarily as an annual architecture festival offering free guided visits to significant buildings across Rome during a designated weekend (OHR26: May 16-24, 2026). The organization functions as a cultural nonprofit under Open City Roma APS. Its product portfolio includes the core Festival as the main offering, supplemented by the OHR365 year-round visit program, two membership support tiers (Fan at 30 EUR and Together at 60 EUR), the INSULAE design-professional sub-brand providing industry training and networking, and a volunteer (Openhouser) program. The festival is supported by various corporate partners including design companies and media outlets, and ticketing for special paid visits is handled through Eventbrite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Insulae: Le isole del design - a project for designers and architects featuring talks, open lessons, and exhibit events, launched May 2026 in conjunction with Open House Roma festival.

Products and services

• Open House Roma Annual Architecture Festival Annual free weekend festival in Rome that opens historically and architecturally significant buildings to the public, allowing visitors to explore sites normally closed to general access. Targeted at individual culture enthusiasts, residents, and tourists.
• OHR365 Year-Round Cultural Program Year-round cultural program of talks, walks, and curated activities that extends engagement between editions of the annual festival and supports community building with members and visitors.
• INSULAE - Le isole del design Sub-brand and curated program focused on design heritage on Rome's Tiber Island area, connecting contemporary design culture with the historical island context. Targeted at design professionals and design-curious individuals.
• Fan Membership Entry-level individual membership tier priced at €30 that supports the organization's activities and provides members with engagement benefits throughout the year.
• Together Membership Higher-tier individual membership priced at €60 that provides deeper engagement with the organization's year-round programming and supports its mission.
• Special Architectural Visits Ticketed guided architectural visits priced at €15, offering access to specific architecturally significant sites and experiences outside the free festival programming.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, main, major and supporting.

• Comune di RomacoreOthersMunicipal government providing institutional support as part of the 'Con il supporto di' (With the support of) category for the 2026 edition.
• Biblioteche di RomacoreOthersPublic library system providing institutional support for the 2026 edition.
• AnasmainOthersMain Partner of OHR26, providing primary sponsorship support.
• FlorimmajorOthersOfficial Partner providing design industry sponsorship and likely material support for events.
• MarazzimajorOthersOfficial Partner, ceramic tile manufacturer supporting the architecture festival.
• mobilnovomajorOthersOfficial Partner, furniture/interior design company.
• OrsolinimajorOthersOfficial Partner, ceramics and building materials company.
• PonziomajorOthersOfficial Partner, aluminum systems company participating in Insulae project.
• IED (Istituto Europeo di Design)supportingOthersEducational Partner supporting Insulae program with open lessons and design events.
• PrintalysupportingOthersPrint Partner handling printing services for festival materials.
• Marco CarpinetisupportingOthersWine Partner providing wine for tasting events during the festival.
• Periferia CapitalesupportingOthersCultural organization providing support as part of 'Con il sostegno di' category.
• Otto per mille Chiesa ValdesesupportingOthersReligious organization providing funding support.
• Platform ArchitecturesupportingOthersMedia Partner providing editorial coverage.
• Roma TodaysupportingOthersMedia Partner - local news outlet.
• Antenna 1supportingOthersMedia Partner - radio station.
• RomeingsupportingOthersMedia Partner - English-language magazine for Rome.
• Noi di RomasupportingOthersMedia Partner - local media outlet.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano: Italy's largest heritage nonprofit, managing historic properties and organizing public access/events across Italy. Comparable as an Italian nonprofit focused on cultural-heritage access and member/donor-supported programming.
• Open House Worldwide: The umbrella organization coordinating the global Open House network of city-based architecture festivals, of which Open House Roma is a member chapter. Directly comparable in mission and festival format.
• Open House London: The originating chapter of the Open House Worldwide network, organizing London's annual Open House festival opening normally closed buildings to the public. Direct comparable in mission, format (annual architecture festival), volunteer-driven model, and reliance on site partnerships.
• Open House New York: New York chapter of the Open House Worldwide network running OHNY Weekend, providing behind-the-scenes access to architecturally significant sites. Closely comparable festival model, volunteer guide program, and city-scale heritage engagement.
• CoopCulture: Italian cooperative managing visitor services, ticketing, and cultural programming at museums and heritage sites across Italy. Comparable in operating cultural-heritage access on a nonprofit/cooperative model with public and private partners.

Others

• MAXXI Foundation: Foundation supporting MAXXI, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, producing architecture exhibitions and public programming. Adjacent cultural institution in the Rome contemporary-architecture ecosystem and a potential partner for Open House Roma's programming.

Broad incumbents

• Touring Club Italiano: Established Italian cultural/travel association promoting heritage and tourism across Italy. Broader in scope (travel, publications, advocacy) but comparable as a long-standing Italian nonprofit engaging citizens with cultural heritage and territory.
• Context Travel: Global operator of expert-led small-group architecture and cultural tours, including in Rome. Comparable in monetizing guided access to architecturally significant sites, though operates as a commercial tour business rather than a free festival.

Regional players

• Walks of Italy: Rome-focused tour operator offering paid small-group and private tours including architecture-themed itineraries. Comparable audience (cultural/architecture tourists visiting Rome) but operates on a paid commercial model outside the Open House network.

Emerging players

• Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane (ADSI): Italian association representing owners of historic houses, organizing open-day events and public access initiatives. Comparable in coordinating public access to privately-owned historic buildings, particularly through 'Giornate Nazionali dell'Affitto' and similar opening events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openhouseroma
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenHouseRM
• Instagraminstagram.com/openhouse.roma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-house-roma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open House Roma