On May 22, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), 111 E. Wacker Dr., opened all-new and updated exhibits in its 10,000 square feet of galleries full of scale models of new building designs from Chicago and around the world.
The Chicago Gallery, home to the Chicago City Model Experience, is completely overhauled and all-new exhibits on Current Chicago Projects, Chicago's neighborhoods and the new home design exhibit, Housing for a Changing Nation.
"Changing Nation," sponsored by AARP Illinois and the AARP Foundation, explores how architects are replacing outdated 19th and 20th century housing with homes designed for fast-changing, diverse, multi-generational communities that need flexible, accessible and affordable housing.
"Current" features new, cutting-edge Chicago projects and all new scale models. Projects include Cabrini-Green redevelopment, Fulton East, 800 Fulton, The Obama Presidential Center and others.
The Chicago City Model Experience, featuring more than 4,250 buildings, returns with 30 new models of buildings under construction in 2020 and 2021including St. Regis (Vista) Tower and Bank of America Building (110 N. Wacker Dr.).
And while there are some informative exhibits, nothing else might entice someincluding kidslike the Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery. While there are scale models of buildings like the Petronas Towers and Willis Tower, new items include Taipei 101, CTF Finance Centre, King Power MahaNakhon and NEMA Chicago, among others.
These new exhibits cap CAC's spring 2021 reopening that began with the April launch of new CAC Walking Tours and the CAFC River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady.
Regarding COVID-related restrictions, visitors are required to wear masks and practice social distancing.
See www.architecture.org .