Programs & Events at CAC

Ready to take the Chicago Architecture Center to the next level?! Visit our Mobile Architecture Lab on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 3pm to interact with the CAC exhibits in new and exciting ways. The lab features fun, hands-on activities…

Join us on the Riverwalk as we discuss “The River and Its Architecture – Work, Play and Live”. Learn about the River’s past and plans for the future, the Riverwalk design and why this new playscape is an exciting addition to Chicago.

Construct a LEGO^® structure with arches, domes and vaults after seeing these architectural elements in-person on a short visit to the Chicago Cultural Center! Come learn about this amazing 1897 landmark and gain inspiration for your own creation.

Longtime CAC docent Patrick Pyszka will share insights on the interesting intersection of architecture and photography and explain how he sees this tradition continuing today in his job as principal photographer for the City of Chicago.

Take a step back in time to 1969: gas is 35 cents per gallon, the “Chicago Seven” are on trial, the John Hancock Center tops off and architect Mies van der Rohe dies. We’ll review where Chicago was 50 years ago, both architecturally and culturally…

Coinciding with the start of EXPO Chicago, CAC Docent Ed McDevitt will give a special talk on the importance of public art for the city's civic realm. Revisit popular works in the Loop and learn about some lesser-known projects.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the John Hancock Center’s (now 875 North Michigan) completion, designers who conceived of and worked on the project will give first-hand accounts of Chicago’s 1960s tall buildings boom.

Hear from two Danish artists about their Chicago Architecture Biennial project, which reimagines the Garfield Park Conservatory landscape with a field of 10,000 cabbages and an outdoor kitchen, designed to be a local community gathering spot.

Join us for a special sneak peek of Open House Chicago (OHC), our free, annual architecture festival taking place Oct. 19-20 at more than 250 sites across the city. Hear what’s new and exciting in this ninth year of the event.

Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend when they attend eight or more studios.

Bring the Chicago Architecture Biennial into your classroom this fall! Teachers are invited to attend a free training from 9am to noon to learn more about the Biennial’s themes and how it can support teaching and learning.

How do you take something old and make it new again? Girls ages 11-14 are welcome to explore this question over six weeks by learning about adaptive re-use. In the process, they’ll create renderings and 3D models of their own repurposed structure.

Bring the Chicago Architecture Biennial into your classroom this fall! Teachers are invited to attend a free training from 4:30—7:30pm to learn more about the Biennial’s themes and how it can support teaching and learning.

Get an exclusive look at the Old Cook County Hospital redevelopment project and learn how successful collaboration between local government leaders, developers, designers and preservationists saved this historic structure.

Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend when they attend eight or more studios.