Learn about Black Leaders and the Chicago Buildings they inspired
FEBRUARY 23, 2022 • ISSUE 57
Black Leaders and the Chicago Buildings They Inspired
The Chicago Architecture Center is proud to present a selection of significant buildings named for prominent Black Chicagoans–people who transcended injustice, prejudice, and racial violence to assume respected leadership roles in civic life. In these pages, learn about journalist and civil rights leader Ida B. Wells; prominent businessman and publisher John H. Johnson; and the first Black mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington.
OUR CHANGING DOWNTOWN
It's no secret that the pandemic has produced a lot of angst around the future of downtown Chicago. We have entered a period of prolonged change that demands new thinking and new investments to shepherd downtown to a place of resilience. Indeed, by many measures − including office development, population growth, tourism and green space improvements
− downtown was doing quite well prior to the pandemic. This makes the present situation all the more jarring. Can we get creative with experiential retail and cultural attractions to fill vacant storefronts? How can design help reinvigorate streets and parks and retrofit buildings to meet today's needs? We have a real opportunity to make the Loop a dynamic neighborhood, rather than simply a destination for work and entertainment.
On March 24, our What's Next? thought leadership event explores ideas and interventions for getting downtown back on track. And for more on the subject, read our new Watch List report.
COUNTING DOWN TO RIVER CRUISE SEASON
Mark your calendars: river cruise tickets go on sale March 1 and departures begin April 1! Be sure to grab your tickets early for this season of the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise Aboard Chicago’s First Lady, voted the #1 Boat Tour in North America by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
WALKING TOURS - GO WITH WHO YOU KNOW
Get ready for spring and join the CAC Education team for a Family Walking Tour for up to six members of your family!
Enjoy a 45-90 minute walking tour with one of the CAC’s expertly trained Education Guides. With content curated specifically for youth ages 8 and up, the whole family will enjoy learning how Chicago grew and why it became a global capital for great architecture.
You can also book a My Social Circle walking tour to enjoy any of the CAC’s acclaimed routes as a private experience for up to eight family members or friends. Discover your new favorite neighborhood or gaze up at iconic skyscrapers, guided by your very own CAC docent.
For more information about Family Walking Tours and My Social Circle Tours, reach out to our Groups Sales team at groupsales@architecture.org.
Open House WorldWide Festival Returns
Online event Saturday, April 9
If you're eagerly awaiting Open House Chicago this October, check out this event from the Open House Worldwide network! As households the world-over change in size, composition, values and dreams, how should the architecture of our homes evolve to match? What lessons can the architects of tomorrow learn from the ingenious and indigenous domestic designs of yesterday?
Housing and the People is a daylong broadcast of tours of housing projects in Melbourne, Taipei, Buenos Aires, Oslo, London, New York and more. Explore bold housing estates and neighborhoods, meet residents and architects reshaping dwellings and join critical debates about the future of housing.
Interested in making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) through your IRA? Would you like to make a gift of stock or make an ACH transfer? Contact Emily Dreke, Vice President of Development at edreke@architecture.org or (312) 561-2119.
Updated Center Hours
Please note that in January-February, the Center will be open Friday-Monday from 10:00am-4:00pm.
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