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OHNY facts

who we are
openhousenewyork promotes awareness and appreciation of New York City's architecture, design and cultural heritage through year-round programming including openhousenewyork Weekend, America’s largest architecture and design event.  openhousenewyork (OHNY) offers hundreds of talks, tours, family workshops, podcasts, and performances—all free of charge.  OHNY expects more than 100,000 visitors to celebrate its fifth anniversary by discovering hidden treasures in NYC neighborhoods in all five boroughs. 

mission
openhousenewyork celebrates New York City’s architecture and design. OHNY promotes a greater appreciation of  NYC’s built-environment; broadens public awareness by exposing a diverse audience to distinctive examples of architecture, engineering and design; educates discussion of issues of excellence in planning and preservation; showcases outstanding new work, as well as buildings and structures of historic merit.

• The 5th Annual openhousenewyork Weekend will be held October 6 & 7, 2007.  Interpretive event guides and children’s activity guides will be distributed for free at over 300 sites and programs and throughout NYC schools.
• openhousenewyork kids! features tours, design workshops, studio visits, activity guides, and teacher’s curriculum guide. Activities will also be available at ohny.org/kids
• opendialoguenewyork provides on-site talks and tours given by architects and designers.
• OHNY tours offer guided walking, cycling and paddling tours in and around the city.
• sustainablenewyork walking tours and talks focus on environmentally conscious design.
• architecturemoves integrates design, dance, and music in site-specific performances.
• focus on architecture photography competition promotes a different way of seeing NYC.

lead sponsors
Target, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Council on the Humanities, NYC Council, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Office of Manhattan Borough President, New York State Council on the Arts, Trust for Architectural Easements, and WABC-TV.

marketing and public relations

• 2007 editorial coverage is expected to reach an audience of more than 25 million. 
• ohny.org is expectd to receive over 10 million hits in the month prior to the event.      
• The New York Times will distribute 500,000 openhousenewyork 2007 event guides.
• Over 125 arts, education and civic institutions will participate in OHNY Weekend, which helps build new audiences and raise awareness of their missions through their participation in openhousenewyork programs.

• Past media highlights include: Architectural Record, Associated Press, Dwell, Fox News,    Metropolis, New York Daily News, New York Living, New York Magazine, The New York Times, NYC & Company Official Visitor Guide (cover), Newsday, The New Yorker, Time Out New York,Vanity Fair, WABC-TV and WNYC-AM/FM.

financials
openhousenewyork receives funding from corporations, corporate and private foundations, city, state and federal agencies, and individuals. Founded in 2001, openhousenewyork is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. 


press releases

Media Contacts:
Linda Miller, 212.725.7656, lindagmiller@earthlink.net
Deborah Kirschner, 917.239.7696, deborahkirschner@hotmail.com

openhousenewyork CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNUAL OHNY WEEKEND
SHOWCASING NEW YORK CITY ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

2007 OHNY Weekend Presented by Target, Saturday & Sunday, October 6 & 7

Nearly 200 Sites Open Doors to the Public: United Nations, Rockefeller Center Rooftop Garden, Fresh Kills, and more

Nearly 150 Free Programs including Focus on Sustainable Design and Architect-led Tours and Open Studios by The Rockwell Group, Eisenman Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle, Perkins+Will, Peter L. Gluck + Partners, Architects  and more

Family-Focused Sites, Tours and Workshops Include Tom Otterness Studio, Little Red Lighthouse, John J. Harvey Fireboat, Science Barge and Building Green Workshops

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 – openhousenewyork (OHNY) will celebrate its 5th Annual OHNY Weekend, America’s largest architecture and design event, October 6 & 7, 2007.  Presented by Target, OHNY Weekend provides the public with free access to nearly 200 sites of architecture and design significance throughout all five boroughs, including many that are normally closed to the public, as well as nearly 150 tours, talks, performances and family activities and workshops that explore New York City by foot, bus, bicycle and even canoe.

“2007 is a benchmark year for openhousenewyork as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of what has become a highly anticipated New York City tradition,” said Scott Lauer, founder of openhousenewyork.  “OHNY was launched to provide a greater understanding and appreciation of architecture and design. Over the past five years, we have provided over 250,000 people with the opportunity to explore more than 1,000 sites and programs of architectural and cultural significance throughout all five boroughs. We continue this year to increase our focus on sites that reflect growing interests in the field, such as sustainability and green design, as well as involve more architects and designers who will provide tours of their studios and current projects. In addition, we are providing a number of programs specially geared to children and families.”

2007 OHNY Weekend is estimated to attract more than 100,000 people who will explore new and returning sites including:

• A rare opportunity to walk the High Line, the elevated industrial rail line that is being converted into a public park;
• An inside look at The New York Times Building, which will celebrate its official opening later this fall;
• A tour with H3 Hardy Collaboration of the offices of the New York Academy of Sciences at 7 World Trade Center, the first new building to be erected on the World Trade Center site;
• New York City landmarks including spaces in the Chrysler Building;
• Behind-the-Scenes tours of the Mark Morris Dance Center, and other performance venues;
• Special architecture tours of the United Nations;
• An intimate look at the last New York City townhouse designed by modernist Paul Rudolph;
• Southpoint, the abandoned ruins of the Renwick-designed smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island, which for OHNY Weekend will host the site-specific installation The Encampment by artist Thom Sokoloski, featuring 100 19th century tents;
• One of the famed Roof Gardens at Rockefeller Center, with spectacular views of St. Patrick’s Cathedral;
• An MTA Substation, one of the historic facilities designed to generate the power for the subway;
• Tom Otterness Studio, a behind-the-scenes look at the Brooklyn workshop of an artist known for whimsical bronze figures;
• Ellis Island’s South Side, a tour of the grounds of the abandoned hospital which treated one million immigrants;
• Tour of Fresh Kills, the 2,200-acre former landfill that is being converted into parkland.

“Target has a long history of partnering with leading cultural organizations to inspire learning, help the arts and design flourish, and strengthen families and communities across the country,” said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target.  “Through our continued support of OHNY Weekend, Target is making art and design affordable and accessible to more New Yorkers and City visitors.”

OHNY Weekend 2007 marks the fourth year of leadership support from Target. In addition, The New York Times Company is for the second year in a row printing and distributing 400,000 guides in the September 28 City Edition of its paper, and a special Kids Activity Guide will be distributed by The New York Times and delivered to 300 New York City schools on September 25. During the Weekend, Event Guides and Kids Activity Guides will also be available for free at all OHNY sites in all five boroughs, the Times Square Information Center, Wall Street Rising, and The Center for Architecture, operated by the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which will again serve as a welcome center. All site and program information will be available in easy-to-access, printable formats on ohny.org starting September 28.  In addition to the Weekend programs, OHNY will again sponsor “Focus on Architecture,” a photography competition where all ages can submit photos taken during the event.

Detailed Information on all OHNY Weekend Events will be available to the public on ohny.org beginning September 28. Guides will also be distributed at key venues throughout the city and in the September 28 City Edition of The New York Times. For those events that require advance reservations, the public can access RSVP info on the web and print-edition of the guides.For event updates and other information, the public can visit ohny.org or call (212) 991-OHNY.


2007 press release
2006 press release
2005 media report
2006 fact sheet

photo credits

To access high-resolution OHNY images, please email info@ohny.org