2026 Burnham Prize: The Future of State

State Street has always been more than a street. It is one of Chicago’s great civic corridors: a place of commerce, culture, transit, architecture and public life. Today, it is also a place of possibility. For the 2026 Burnham Prize, the Chicago Architectural Club invited architects, designers, artists, planners and interdisciplinary teams to imagine what State Street could become next. The competition asked participants to look at the historic corridor with fresh eyes and propose new ways to make it more active, welcoming and alive.

At this event, the winning proposals will be announced for the first time, followed by remarks from project partners and members of the jury. Guests will have the opportunity to view the selected entries on display in the Chicago Architecture Center and join a larger conversation about the future of State Street and downtown Chicago.