At the Chicago Architecture Center, our programs and events help you think differently about the places we live, work and play. Get behind-the-scenes access to the city's architectural treasures. Practice your design skills while you play with your family. Participate in expert-led discussions about the latest urban design issues. With these offerings and so many more to choose from, we guarantee there’s something inspiring and fun for you at the CAC.
Architecture in Chicago has long drawn influence from Japan. Trace the connections beginning with parallels to Japanese architectural tradition found in Frank Lloyd Wright’s work and continuing on to Japanese architects practicing in Chicago today.
Research shows Chicago has become more segregated by income over time with growing pockets of extreme wealth and extreme poverty. This special hour-long event tackles the challenges of rebuilding the middle class as we mount recoveries in our cities.
2021 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. Join author Carl Smith as he discusses his new work of nonfiction, Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City.
Terra cotta, brick and stone masonry have been fundamental building materials since the Neolithic age. Join us as we explore how these materials make Chicago’s architecture, even as they are often taken for granted.
Add a splash of color to your child’s day when they spend an hour in our Design Studio creating a masterpiece using color, shapes, and materials.
Don’t miss this up-close investigation of Studio Gang’s exciting new project, Solstice on the Park. Learn how the building carries forward a tradition of architectural innovation in Hyde Park, and see what life is like inside its unique apartments…
Members get first access to the new Helmut Jahn: Life + Architecture Exhibit!
Sustainability is more than solar panels and green roofs. Join us as we highlight a range of green building and sustainability initiatives taking place all across Chicago.
Join us as we celebrate the release of Canopy Architecture + Design’s new publication, Between the Leaves: On Housing, exploring the major challenges in creating affordable housing and what we can do to support initiatives in our communities.
Join experts from the Field Museum, Chicago Architecture Center and Chicago History Museum as they share stories of Museum Campus over the past 100 years.
In the early 1900s, Chicago’s “bungalow belt” took shape across the outer-ring neighborhoods. After WWII, at the belt’s far edge, this distinctive housing type often morphed into new hybrid forms. Join us as we explore variations of a classic…
Join us for a unique story time at the inspiring Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, as we learn about the impact of women in architecture. Let your child’s imagination come to life as we read The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha…
Every city has its foundational stories. In this talk, CAC Program Director Hallie Rosen discusses Chicago: An Illustrated Timeline with author and CAC docent Ellen Shubart, which chronicles the city’s growth from Midwestern outpost to global metropolis…
Please join us for a spectacular evening of celebration at the Old Post Office on the nation’s largest urban private rooftop.
First coming to prominence in the Middle Ages, stained glass has been enhancing buildings around the world for thousands of years. Join us as we explore architecturally significant buildings on Michigan Avenue that feature the magic of stained glass.