Archinect - News

The Chicago Architecture Center names Eleanor Gorski as its new CEO

2022-10-19T16:21:00-04:00

The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) has named a successor in its search to replace longtime President and CEO Lynn Osmond after her retirement in March.

Eleanor Esser Gorski will step into the Chief Executive's role with over 25 years of experience in architecture, historic preservation, and urban planning from her prior work for the city’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD), tenure as director of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, and recent academic appointment at the UIC School of Architecture .

“Eleanor has extensive experience working with communities, municipalities, and stakeholders to create community wealth,” former DPD colleague Maurice Cox said in a statement. “Her understanding of the power of design, practical experience in the field and ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes uniquely positions her to lead an organization like the CAC.”

Previously: Chicago Architecture Center President & CEO Lynn Osmond is s...

Is Chicago ready to become the climate city of tomorrow? A new exhibition at the CAC explores an 'Energy Revolution'

2022-05-04T18:48:00-04:00

To coincide with the recent Earth Day celebrations, the Chicago Architecture Center has opened up its archives for a look inside the revolution that could restore the city, traditionally thought to be a mecca for the seminal works of 19th- and 20th-century architectural pioneers, to the top of the new mantle of sustainable design.

Titled Energy Revolution, the exhibition is being curated by Farr Associates founder and former Congress for New Urbanism Chair Doug Farr, an urbanist and outspoken sustainability advocate whose roots in the city extend nearly 40 years. Farr says one of his main goals was to “get architects to bring their clients to the show and start asking themselves the question: Can our next building be one that is all-electric and has no fossil-fuel connections?”

Image courtesy the Chicago Architecture Center

The answer is invariably tied to the direction shown by the city’s elected officials. On Friday, Chicago officially submitted a Climate Action Plan that includes ...

Chicago Architecture Center President & CEO Lynn Osmond is stepping down after 25 years of service

2022-03-17T16:56:00-04:00

A towering figure in Chicago’s well-developed architectural scene is stepping down from one of its most important posts as the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) announced that President and CEO Lynn Osmond will be departing the Center at the end of April in order to take on a leadership role with Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism agency.

Since joining the CAC in 1996, Osmond has been pivotal in transforming the organization (then named the Chicago Architecture Foundation) into one of the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, overseeing its growth into a $25 million entity with an expanded audience of around 700,000 patrons in addition to helping it become one of the top tourist destinations in the city.

Previously on Archinect: The Chicago Architecture Foundation announces the Chicago Architecture Center, to encompass both past and future design innovation

Under Osmond’s tenure, the CAC moved into its new permanent location in the Mies van der Rohe-designed 111 E Wacker Dr. bu...

Virtual Architecture Events this week include a lecture, historical tours, film screenings, and a panel on pay equality

2020-05-20T09:12:00-04:00

Featured virtual event happenings today through Friday, from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide, are hosted by UCLA, the Chicago Architecture Center, ADFF, CCA, and RISD.

Are you hosting a virtual lecture? Presentation? Tour? Interview? Happy Hour? Submit it for consideration by clicking here.

Are you an expert in an arena that's especially important right now? Let us know if you would like to work with Archinect to host an online event.

Virtual Lecture with Tei Carpenter
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PDT
Join UCLA Architecture and Urban Design for a virtual lecture with Tei Carpenter, Founder of Agency-Agency, Assistant Professor at University of Toronto, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP. Carpenter’s design and research work has been supported by a number of international organizations including the New York State Council on the Arts and BMW Mini.
Click here to attend and/or register

CAC Live: A Tale of Two Fairs
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 P...

Chicago Architecture Center opens in new location this Labor Day weekend

2018-08-30T14:25:00-04:00

The oversized skyscraper models in the window, one of them 38 feet tall, are the undisputed stars of the show, but they’re not the only reason to visit the Chicago Architecture Center, the engaging new home of the organization previously known as the Chicago Architecture Foundation. There is also the dramatically expanded Chicago Model, an expanse of mini skyscrapers and other buildings that offers a helicopterlike overview of the city’s sprawling downtown.

Previously announced back in January, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) will now be open to the public this coming Labor Day weekend beginning Friday August 31. Formerly known as the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the CAC opens in its new location featuring everything architecture in Chicago through tours, programs, and exhibitions.

The building, originally designed by Mies van der Rohe, has been renovated with interiors by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS + GG) in partnership with museum planning and design firm Gallagher & Associates. If you're in the area be sure to check out this new addition to architecture and the city. Plan your visit with more information here.

Chicago Architecture Center announces new location opening in August 2018

2018-06-13T18:56:00-04:00

Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), formerly known as Chicago Architecture Foundation, recently announced that it will open at its new location at 111 E Wacker Dr., a building originally designed by the office of Mies van der Rohe, on August 31, 2018. The interiors have been redesigned by local firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS + GG).

Chicago Architecture Center Lobby. Image: CAF.

Chicago Architecture Center Tour Orientation Hall and Box Office. Image: CAF.

The new Center will join the active riverfront and house everything architecture for Chicagoans and tourists alike, bringing new walking tours, imaginative education programs, and new interactive exhibits. More details on the new tours will be released later this summer.

Chicago Architecture Center Lecture Hall. Image: CAF.

Chicago Architecture Center Design Studio. Image: CAF.

The CAC will feature custom-designed spaces for tour orientation, design education, public programs, along with store and exhibit space develope...

Chicago Architecture Center plans for 2018 opening

2017-11-29T17:22:00-05:00

After spending more than 25 years at the Railway Exchange Building, the Chicago Architecture Foundation will be moving to the heart of the city at 111 East Wacker Drive by Summer 2018. Located right by the river where the Foundation hosts its river cruise tours, the expanded space of 20,000 square feet will allow the institution to establish the Chicago Architecture Center while growing its programming and education initiatives.

“The Chicago Architecture Center is an exciting new endeavor for the foundation and the city,” said Lynn Osmond, CAF’s president and CEO. “For more than 50 years, our board of trustees, docents, volunteers, donors and members have been unstinting supporters of CAF. We are all looking forward to providing Chicagoans and visitors with a forum to debate the future of urban areas and learn more about the city that invented the skyscraper.”

The new Center, with interiors designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, will house a lecture hall, a hands-on d...