What excites you most about the Chicago Architecture Center?

The opening of the Chicago Architecture Center is an exciting moment for the entire city.

We spoke with some of our partners to ask them what their hopes are for the Center and how they believe CAC can continue to grow as a leader in building a better Chicago.

“Architecture has always been a part of Chicago’s DNA. As the birthplace of the skyscraper, and a real-world laboratory for more than a century of architectural breakthroughs, the city deserves a pantheon in a prominent location to celebrate this craft. Personally, I’m most looking forward to the incredible two-story “Skyscraper Gallery” showcasing innovations in tall buildings from across the globe. All of us at CTBUH are thrilled to be a part of the CAC’s next chapter.”

–Antony Wood, Executive Director, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

“The Chicago cultural community congratulates the Chicago Architecture Center on its plans for the Chicago Architecture Center. [It] will enable CAC to expand its innovative and immersive programs that help everyone understand the value of well-conceived design in architecture, landscape design and urban planning. Designed by the rock star architectural team of Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, the Chicago Architecture Center will open a new chapter in CAC’s 52-year history of delivering informative and inspirational public programs.”

–Pauline Saliga, Executive Director, Society of Architectural Historians

“Architecture is one of the key pillars (pun intended) of Chicago’s story and it needs to be told in an experiential way. The Chicago Architecture Center will provide a stage for our architecture so visitors can experience it up close and personal. A visit to the Center will allow our visitors to note, anticipate and experience the richness and vastness of Chicago architecture during their stay.”

–David Whitaker, President & CEO, Choose Chicago

“The new Chicago Architecture Center will be an exciting first stop downtown during Open House Chicago. After learning about Chicago’s rich architectural legacy and taking in the expanded Chicago City Model, visitors will have the chance to explore iconic buildings, some just steps away. The new CAC will be a terrific gateway to explore the city year-round, and especially during Open House Chicago!”

–Eric Rogers, Program Manager, Open House Chicago

“Great cities are defined by their rich civic life and the public spaces they nurture. It doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a community’s consensus that architecture matters. The Chicago Architecture Center will keep the Chicago consensus alive by drawing hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans and visitors to discover Chicago’s awe-inspiring architecture. It will provide a vital public forum, much like the Harold Washington Library and three new branch libraries being built today, where communities can gather to learn and to debate what kind of city they want to build.”

–Brian Bannon, Commissioner & CEO, Chicago Public Library

“We have been impressed with CAC’s strategy of including youth perspective and input into their design work. We are excited for the future of CAC and the Chicago Architecture Center. Having a place to call home—a center that will respond to the innovations in design and architecture—will only further strengthen the relationship between city planning and architecture and the young people it impacts. At Mikva Challenge, we are excited to continue our partnership with CAC and to ensure that young people’s voices are always included.”

–Michelle Morales, CEO, Mikva Challenge