The Chicago Architecture Biennial Was So Successful It's Returning In 2017

By Kate Shepherd in News on Jan 8, 2016 3:40PM

by Jessica Mlinaric/Chicagoist

The Chicago Architecture Biennial will be back in 2017.

North America's largest architecture exhibition made its inaugural run from Oct. 3 through Jan. 3. It featured work from over 100 artists and architects at multiple sites around the city and 200 free events in and around Chicago.

After the "unequivocal success" of the inaugural run, it will return, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. The dates, themes and leaders will be announced later this year.

More than half a million people visited the displays and public events such as the main exhibit at the Cultural Center and special events including tours of the Stone Island Arts Bank and Frank Lloyd Wright's SC Johnson campus in Racine, Wisconsin.

"The first-ever Chicago Architecture Biennial was an unequivocal success, exceeding our expectations for attendance and bolstered Chicago's reputation as the vanguard of architectural thinking on the national and international stage," Emanuel's statement said. "The City of Chicago is synonymous with architectural innovation, from the world's first modern skyscrapers to the forefront of urban design, which is why Chicago was naturally suited to host an architectural event of this scale."