The inspiration for DOORS OPEN NIAGARA had its origins in France where the first Doors Open event (La Journee Portes Ouvertes) took place in 1984. The idea soon spread to neighboring countries and has since expanded around the globe. Toronto was the first North American city to follow the European lead and launched a high profile event showcasing constructed heritage, architecture and design as a millennium project in 2000.

Using the Toronto model, the Ontario Heritage Foundation launched Doors Open Ontario in 2002. Standing out in the list of participating communities in that inaugural year, binational DOORS OPEN NIAGARA featured towns and villages on both sides of the international boundary, opening heritage properties for all to see, and in many cases, for the first time! Each year, the Foundation publishes a full color catalog featuring all Doors Open communities including twenty of the DOORS OPEN NIAGARA sites. The catalog is distributed throughout Canada, as well as internationally. Information about all participating sites is available at www.doorsopenontario.on.ca.

DOORS OPEN NIAGARA is organized by a steering committee of volunteers from both Canada and the United States in association with the Binational Tourism Alliance (BTA). The BTA is a tourism product and infrastructure development and training organization. It has been working with tourism, cultural and hospitality partners in the binational region since 2001 to develop the cross-border region into an internationally recognized, year-round cultural tourism destination.

This year we are launching an entire season of design, architecture and heritage experiences for residents and travelers between September and November, 2007.

"Niagara by Design" is a three-month long celebration of Binational Niagara, developed in partnership with the 2007 Doors Open Sites, Brock University, Rodman Hall Art Centre, University at Buffalo School of Architecture, the Niagara Society of Architects, Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs Wineries, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Osprey Media, Entercom Radio and a wide array of other community partners and sponsors from the Binational Region.

A variety of special events will highlight the wealth of both old and new architecture and design in this region by introducing exciting new elements of design, indoor and outdoor landscaping, environmental and reuse projects, into the heritage and architecture mix that Doors Open Niagara has always celebrated.

Highlights of "Niagara By Design" 2007 include:

     - 3rd Annual "Art of Architecture" Photography Contest

     - "architage", a new Scavenger Hunt/Photography Contest for 5 to

       17 year olds, Sept. 2 to Oct. 14

     - "Niagara By Design" Speaker Series: Bryan MacKay Lyons at

       Brock University Sept. 17 and Eric Lloyd Wright at Inniskillin

       Winery Nov. 28

     - "Niagara By Design" Movie Series: "Sketches of Frank Gehry" at

       Niagara Arts & Cultural Center Sept. 25

     - "Niagara By Design" Symposium:  KPMB Architects and

       Principles from Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery present

       "The Future of Architecture and Design in Binational Niagara" at

       UB School of Architecture Nov. 14

    

A complete list of participating Doors Open Niagara sites with locations, maps, hours and background information is available online at: www.doorsopenniagara.com. For more information, call 716-849-5834 or 905-354-5100

"The Art of Architecture" is the theme of this year's DOORS OPEN NIAGARA, with a special emphasis on discovering art in and around historically and architecturally significant sites. Among the types of art visitors can encounter are:

• Architectural: interior and exterior construction and architectural details; examples of rare design styles
• Fine Art Collections: galleries and exhibits contained in many sites as well as permanent art collections
• Decorative Art: interior decor; original and reproduction furnishings and antiques
• Historical Art: memorabilia, folk art, historical artifacts
• Mechanical Art: antique machinery and equipment, tools, vehicles and engineering marvels
• Horticultural & Landscape: formal gardens, labyrinths, picturesque grounds

Participating sites include elegant residences and inns, churches containing magnificent stained glass windows, Industrial Age factories, municipal buildings, museums, schoolhouses, and sites that played a role in the Underground Railroad. A wide variety of architectural styles are represented including 18th and early 19th century stone and log structures, homes and buildings crafted in the Victorian, Neo-Classical, Art Deco, Italianate and Greek Revival styles, and churches of Romanesque and Gothic Revival design. Many of the sites in both the U.S. and Canada are registered as National Historic landmarks and others played important roles in the history of both countries.