diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/__init__.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/__init__.py
index 3ec2188265..f6bd455efc 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/__init__.py
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 
 import os
 import sys
+import tempfile
+import zipfile
+from pathlib import Path
 
 if hasattr(os, "uname"):
     platform_system = os.uname()[0].lower()
@@ -80,19 +83,32 @@ class SchemaError(Error):
     pass
 
 
-def open(fn):
-    """Loads an IFC dataset from a filepath
+def guess_format(path):
+    """Try to guess format using file extension"""
+    if path.suffix.lower() in (".ifczip", ".zip"):
+        return ".ifcZIP"
+    if path.suffix.lower() in (".ifcxml", ".xml"):
+        return ".ifcXML"
 
-    :param fn: Filepath to the IFC model
-    :type fn: string
-    :returns: A file object
-    :rtype: ifcopenshell.file.file
 
-    Example::
-
-        ifc_file = ifcopenshell.open("/path/to/model.ifc")
-    """
-    f = ifcopenshell_wrapper.open(os.path.abspath(fn))
+def open_path(path: os.PathLike | str, format: str = None) -> file:
+    path = Path(path)
+    if format is None:
+        format = guess_format(path)
+    if format == ".ifcXML":
+        f = ifcopenshell_wrapper.parse_ifcxml(str(path.absolute()))
+        if f:
+            return file(f)
+        raise IOError(f"Failed to parse .ifcXML file from {path}")
+    if format == ".ifcZIP":
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as unzipped_path:
+            with zipfile.ZipFile(path) as zf:
+                for name in zf.namelist():
+                    if Path(name).suffix.lower() in (".ifc", ".ifcxml"):
+                        return open_path(zf.extract(name, unzipped_path))
+                else:
+                    raise LookupError(f"No .ifc or .ifcXML file found in {path}")
+    f = ifcopenshell_wrapper.open(str(path.absolute()))
     if f.good():
         return file(f)
     else:
@@ -101,12 +117,27 @@ def open(fn):
             NO_HEADER: (Error, "Unable to parse IFC SPF header"),
             UNSUPPORTED_SCHEMA: (
                 SchemaError,
-                "Unsupported schema: %s" % ",".join(f.header.file_schema.schema_identifiers),
+                "Unsupported schema: %s"
+                % ",".join(f.header.file_schema.schema_identifiers),
             ),
         }[f.good().value()]
         raise exc(msg)
 
 
+def open(path: os.PathLike | str, format: str = None) -> file:
+    """Loads an IFC dataset from a filepath
+
+    You can specify a file format. If no format is given, it is guessed from its extension.
+    Currently supported specified format : .ifc | .ifcZIP | .ifcXML
+
+    Examples:
+        model = ifcopenshell.open("/path/to/model.ifc")
+        model = ifcopenshell.open("/path/to/model.ifcXML")
+        model = ifcopenshell.open("/path/to/model.any_extension", ".ifc")
+    """
+    return open_path(path)
+
+
 def create_entity(type, schema="IFC4", *args, **kwargs):
     """Creates a new IFC entity that does not belong to an IFC file object