he Chicago Architecture Foundation, best known for its architecture tours that

ply the Chicago River, plans to move to new and larger quarters next year — a
riverfront office building that soars above the dock for its tour boats.

The nonprofit group last week signed a 20-year lease for a high-profile
headquarters at 111 E. Wacker Drive , just east of Michigan Avenue, and
expects to move there in summer 2018.

The new home, called the Chicago Architecture Center, will be almost twice at
big as the foundation's current one and will include such features as a two-
story "Skyscape Gallery" that showcases innovations in tall building design in
Chicago and around the world.

There also will be room for an expansion of the foundation's Chicago Model,
which currently represents 400 blocks of the city and more than 1,000
buildings.

"We're going to the next phase of our growth where we become a destination
for the discovery of architecture and design in Chicago," said Lynn Osmond,
the foundation's president.

Located since 1992 in a D.H. Burnham & Co.-designed office building at 224 S.
Michigan Ave., the foundation still will have a home with a distinguished
architectural pedigree. Completed in 1970, 111 E. Wacker was designed by the
Office of Mies van der Rohe, named for the master modernist who died in
1969.

111 E. Wacker's lower floors are currently being remodeled, turning former
outdoor plazas into glass-sheathed interiors. A rendering shows that the
architecture center will occupy a ground-floor welcome and tour center and,
above it, a two-story exhibition area that overlooks the Chicago River and the
Michigan Avenue bridge. The group's logo, which features the letter "C"
wrapped around a circle, will appear on a glass wall fronting the river.
"When you walk in, you will be greeted by this monumental stair that will take
you up to the Skyscape Gallery," Osmond said.

The Chicago firm of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, whose projects
include the soon-to-open expansion of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at
Navy Pier, will design the architecture center's interior. The New York firm
Local Projects will handle exhibition spaces, which will comprise 9,000 square
feet of the 20,000-square-foot center. The center will have five times more
exhibition space than the CAF's current home.

The foundation also will move its offices from 224 S. Michigan to 111 E.
Wacker, occupying about 10,000 square feet of office space. And the starting
point for many of the foundation's tours will shift to the riverfront high-rise.

But the architecture center won't provide a home for several architecture
organizations under one roof.

In 2005, when the CAF announced it had received a $50,000 grant from the
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to study the
feasibility of expanding or moving, Osmond discussed the possibility that the
offices of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects could be
folded into the complex. Offices of the building trades also might be included,
she said then, as they are in architecture centers in some European cities.

But such opportunities for cross-fertilization did not come to fruition.

"There is not enough space, and (the) timing of our lease and other like-
minded organizations did not coincide," Osmond wrote in an email.

Founded in 1966, the CAF draws 672,000 visitors annually, Osmond said, a
figure that accounts for attendance at education programs, exhibitions and
docent-led tours.
The group is seeking contributions of $10 million for the new space and an
expansion of its public programs. It has raised "a couple of million dollars so
far," Osmond said.

The foundation's current location at 224 S. Michigan Ave., near the Art
Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park, has helped it draw visitors. Asked if
the move to 111 E. Wacker would depress attendance, Osmond pointed to the
soon-to-be-completed Apple store at 401 N. Michigan Ave., expected to open
later this year.

"I think it's going to be easier," she said of drawing crowds. "With the Apple
store, the new nucleus of Michigan Avenue will move farther south."

Architecturally the building is a gem," said Gordon. "The design will create a dynamic and
elegant space."
The firm hopes that CAC will become a destination for "discovering Chicago's architectural
legacy and its role in shaping cities everywhere" — as the Midwest city is the birthplace of the
skyscraper.
A 26-foot-high (eight-metre) exhibition space called the Skyscraper Gallery will overlook the
river and Michigan Avenue Bridge, and form the centrepiece of the building.
The space will feature a permanent exhibit, Tall Buildings and Innovation, recounting the stories
of famous skyscrapers in the city and around the world, and show how architects continue to
innovate and build even taller skyscrapers.
To develop the exhibitions, AS+GG is collaborating with New York firm Local Projects, which
previously worked on the the National September 11 Memorial inside the Snøhetta-designed
museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Upon entering, visitors will be greeted at an orientation centre on the ground level, before taking
a guided tour of the exhibition spaces.
Two interactive exhibits will be installed at the CAC: the Chicago City Model Experience will
tell the story of the city; City of Neighborhoods will provide information about its different
areas.  The new centre will also house lecture halls, design studios and a retail store.
Architecturally the building is a gem,” said Gordon Gill, founding partner of AS+GG in a
press release. “The design will create a dynamic and elegant space for CAF that promotes
patrons to fully engage in the influence Chicago has on global architecture. The large
volume of space fronting the Chicago River also creates an inviting and interactive
atmosphere for visitors.”

The Chicago City Model Experience, currently located in the atrium of the Railway
Exchange building, will be enhanced with interactive digital multimedia. Other
permanent exhibitions include the Skyscraper Gallery and the City of Neighborhoods
Gallery. Space will also be set aside for rotating galleries, and a new lecture hall will
provide space for the CAF’s many public lectures. A new design studio space will be the
heart of the foundation’s youth summer camps, and a Tour Orientation Center will be the
starting point for its daily walking tours. The location of the new center also brings it
closer to the docks of Chicago’s First Lady Cruises, the CAF’s river cruise boat.

Hundreds of thousands of people either visit or take one of the CAF’s architecture tours
every year. The new location along the river will bring the foundation much closer to the
throngs of tourists walking along the “Magnificent Mile.” Chicago River’s shoreline has
recently undergone major improvements, with the center being one more major attraction
when completed in the summer of 2018.

"The Chicago Architecture Center is an exciting new endeavor for the foundation and the city," said
Lynn Osmond, president and CEO, said in a release.

Known as One Illinois Center, the new building site plan was designed by Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe, a famous Chicago-based architect who helped develop the mid-century modernism
movement.

The new building will offer 9,000 square feet of exhibition space, and include such displays as the
Chicago City Model Experience, which will explain the history of Chicago; the City of Neighborhoods
Gallery, which will explores the city's neighborhoods; and the Skyscape Gallery, which will feature
famous skyscrapers in Chicago and around the world. The Center will also include a lecture hall,
design studio and space for its famous shop.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture of Chicago will design the interior of the Center. The local
firm has previously designed for the new theater at Navy Pier and expansion to the Steppenwolf
Theater. "Architecturally, the building is a gem," said Gordon Gill, founding partner of Adrian Smith +
Gordon Gill Architecture.

CAF is a nonprofit that offers tours, exhibits, lectures and education programs about architecture in
Chicago. In 2016, more than 672,000 people participated in these programs.

In addition to office space and a gift shop, the upcoming Chicago Architecture
Center will feature a number of galleries and exhibition spaces. However, the
focus won’t be solely on high-profile downtown skyscrapers. One such space,
the City of Neighborhoods Gallery, will highlight the city’s many unique and
diverse neighborhoods. The CAF’s popular miniature model of downtown
Chicago will also find a new home in the Chicago Architecture Center.

At the Chicago Architecture Foundation we want to help you understand the topics,
ideas and people that shape our cities and our world.

Our exhibitions encourage visitors to discover spaces, places and

structures that impact the way we live, learn, work and play.

Visit us and immerse yourself in our permanent installation,

the Chicago Model, or stay right where you are and explore our
current exhibitions online. In person or online, let us help you learn
from the past, explore the present and imagine the future of
architecture and urban design.
An architecture center may be a new concept in Chicago, but it isn’t in other parts of the
world. Here’s a look at a few other centers that served as inspiration for the Chicago
Architecture Center.

by Ian Spula, Specialist, Program Operations

Chicago is rightly known as a city both knowledgeable and proud of its

architecture. For more than 50 years, the Chicago Architecture
Foundation has showcased the city’s architectural innovations to
Chicagoans and visitors. But we sensed we could do more to inspire
people to discover why design matters. We also felt that because
Chicago has played such an important role in modern architecture that
it deserved to have its own architecture center, along with
approximately 100 other cities in the world that already have one.

In creating an architecture center, we don’t simply want to be bigger;

we want to provide a deeper, authentic experience. Our new location
at 111 E. Wacker will help us achieve that goal. “We want to be the
first stop for visitors to Chicago and a return destination for locals
looking to better understand and appreciate their city, through our
programs and exhibitions,” says CAF President and CEO Lynn
Osmond.
NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE, LONDON

The NLA provides an inspiring model for encouraging civic

engagement and getting the public involved in critical decisions being
made about London’s future. For example, the NLA created the
London Tall Buildings Survey, which contains data and citizen
perspectives about the city’s vertical growth. The survey has become
an important reference work for policy makers. To represent these
issues visually, NLA has created a huge London city model that
encompasses the entire urbanized city center, with transit, parks,
infrastructure and patterns of growth projected onto it using light,
color, and sound. Similarly, we are re-imagining the CAC’s
expanded Chicago Model as an interactive multi-media experience
that will show visitors Chicago’s past, present and future.
PAVILIION DE L'ARSENAL CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM, PARIS

L’Arsenal has strong ties to Paris’s design community and its vibrant
neighborhoods. The focal point of the interior is a large interactive all-
digital model. Visitors can manipulate the map to view stories about
curated sets of buildings. The center’s exhibitions on the history of
Paris and town planning also provide a backdrop for a range of
conversations. People see it as a welcoming place where they can
have "meet-ups" over food and discuss architecture and urban
planning issues. Likewise, CAF takes its civic role seriously. The CAC
will be a space that belongs to every Chicagoan who wishes to
explore how we can build a better future for our city.
DANISH ARCHITECTURE CENTER, COPENHAGEN

Like us, the Danish Architecture Center is in the process of moving to

a new home. The OMA/Rem Koolhaas designed center will be a hub
of design debate in Denmark, creating common ground between the
public, designers and developers that leads to innovative architecture.
Its leaders are planning programs and exhibitions for both the public
and design professionals to create a synergy that is at the heart of any
successful architecture center. Similarly, the CAC will provide a forum
for Chicago’s designers and the broader community to come together

CAF is a nonprofit cultural organization with tours, exhibitions, programs and events for
all ages. Our mission is to inspire people to discover why design matters.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) was founded in 1966 to

save the historic Glessner House. Since then, CAF has grown to
become one of the largest cultural organizations in Chicago. For more
than 50 years, our 450 volunteer docents and our educators have
shared the stories of Chicago architecture with millions of Chicagoans
and visitors. In 2016, CAF served more than 670,000 people.

Visit CAF at 224 S. Michigan Ave. to view our 1,000-building scale

model of Chicago, shop in our award-winning store, or participate in
a fun family event in our ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Or choose from
85 tours by boat, walking, bus, or even L train. Tours depart daily and
are led by CAF's expert docents. Every October, check out CAF's free
annual Open House Chicago festival.

Proceeds from CAF’s tours and store, as well as grants, sponsorships

and donations, support our educational mission.
Our Mission

The Chicago Architecture Foundation inspires people to discover why

design matters.
Our Vision

The Chicago Architecture Foundation is the leading organization

devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of
architectural innovation. As Chicago’s forum for the exchange of ideas
on urban design, CAF inspires people to participate in the building of
vibrant communities and to demand the highest standard in urban
design. CAF awakens young people to achieve their potential through
the discovery of architecture, engineering and design.