OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO 2021 SITES REVEALED!

Did you hear the news? The Open House Chicago lineup was announced this week, so you can start planning your strategy for seeing as many sites as possible! On October 16–17, tour breathtaking sacred spaces, repurposed mansions, innovative breweries and inspiring art centers. In total, over 100 sites are on this year's OHC lineup, including returning favorites and exciting new additions. And with more than 30 neighborhoods represented on this year’s site list, there are plenty of ways to customize your OHC experience, whether that means traveling down the block or across the city. From Evanston to Pullman, Austin to Edgewater and everywhere in between, start planning your exploration today.

Don’t forget about the OHC app, available in October! Continue your exploration of the city with self-guided walking tours that bring you to striking building exteriors all month long.

EXPLORE

ONLINE OHC PROGRAMS

Open House Chicago 2021 Preview
Wednesday, September 29 at 5:30pm

Get a special sneak preview of the OHC 2021 mobile app, trails, sites and virtual programs. This is your chance to ask questions and get recommendations to maximize your OHC 2021 experience!

Revisiting Learning from North Lawndale
Tuesday, October 5 at 6pm

Trace the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial back to its roots in the 2006 CAC exhibit Learning from North Lawndale: Past, Present and Future. Revisit the making of the exhibit and explore the richness of the North Lawndale neighborhood with scholars and community leaders.

The Olmsted Legacy in Chicago
Wednesday, October 13 at 6pm

In 2022 we will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth. Join historian Julia Bachrach as she illuminates Olmsted’s significant contributions to Chicago’s South Side parks.

In Case You Missed It: New Buildings From Our Pandemic Year
Tuesday, October 19 at 6pm

While COVID-19 has driven us indoors and online, Chicago architects have still been bringing their visions to life around town. In this special edition of our Current Projects series, we spotlight exciting new works from the past year.

Open House Chicago 2021 is made possible by generous support from Presenting Sponsor Wintrust and OHC 2021 Sponsors The Terra Foundation for American Art, the National Endowment for the Arts, the TAWANI Foundation, ComEd and Cassandra Book. OHC 2021 Partners are Choose Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and Open House Worldwide. OHC 2021 Media Sponsors are Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Reader, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago and Vocalo Radio.

ONE MORE THING

Thank you to all of our 2021 CAC Gala Attendees and Participants!

Last week, the CAC hosted the Together Again Gala, and the return of safe, in-person festivities was indeed something worth celebrating. We welcomed 430 guests on the rooftop of the Old Post Office for an evening of food, friends and smiling faces in honor of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Newhouse Architecture and Design Competition, the Center’s signature education program.

The funds raised from the gala will help ensure the Newhouse Competition continues for years to come, providing free access to architecture opportunities for Chicago-area high school students like Nick Lorenzen, the winner of 2021’s Newhouse Grand Prize. Nick impressed judges with his design for an energy-independent, multi-family home for the Austin neighborhood. He split the Grand Prize with a student team from Bennet Day School. You can learn more about the 16-year-old’s inspiring design on CBS Chicago here.

Relive the festivities with our online photo gallery from the evening. Please note: all gala attendees were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival.

The CAC would like to thank everyone who joined us at the Together Again Gala, as well as our major donors Allstate and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, for their support of the Center and its programming.

THE LATEST

Updated Mask Policy

Effective Friday, August 20, the Chicago Department of Public Health requires that everyone 2+ wear masks in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. This includes in our Center, anytime a walking tour goes indoors, and in the enclosed salon area onboard the vessels of Chicago’s First Lady Cruises.

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