Chicago Architecture Foundation Is Getting A New Riverfront Center

By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 7, 2017 9:55PM

The city's preeminent architecture nonprofit organization is getting some impressive, new riverfront digs—where it will also open the brand-new Chicago Architecture Center next year.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation announced on Thursday that it is moving from its longtime home on Michigan Avenue to 111 East Wacker Drive, otherwise known as One Illinois Center, adjacent to the Chicago River.

The move makes sense for CAF on several levels: it positions operations right in front of where the foundation's must-do (especially if the folks are in town) architecture river cruises dock. The new location also carries its own architectural significance, having been designed by Modernist icon Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

“Architecturally the building is a gem,” said Gordon Gill, of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the famed architecture firm that will head up interior designs for the new Center, in a release. "The design will create a dynamic and elegant space for CAF that promotes patrons to fully engage in the influence Chicago has on global architecture. The large volume of space fronting the Chicago River also creates an inviting and interactive atmosphere for visitors."

Visitors will be greeted to a new 9,000-square-foot exhibition space at the center. The space will include an expanded version of the Chicago City Model Experience; an exhibit that explores the city's various neighborhoods; and a new gallery that will house a permanent Tall Buildings and Innovation exhibit, which delves into Chicago's long, innovative skyscraper tradition. It will also include a lecture hall, design studio and retail shop.

“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 Chicago Architecture Center opens summer of 2018.