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Revolution in the White City: How the Fourth of July was Celebrated at the 1893 World's Fair

Wed Oct 14 2026, 7 to 8pm$16Online lecture via Zoom by independent researcher Scott Cummings on how Independence Day 1893 was celebrated at the World's Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park. $16 general, $13 members.

Intro to Architectural Photography

Sat Oct 10 2026, all dayChicago Architecture CenterWorkshop with a professional photographer on composition, lighting, and perspective for architectural images: indoor session in the Design Studio then an outdoor photo walk (smartphone required; registration fee stated but amount not published).

Highways of Collective Action

Fri Oct 9 2026, 12:30 to 2pmFreeLecture by urban planning professor Hiba Bou Akar on how Beirut's Ring highway became a space for collective action during the October 17 uprising.

Our Changing City: The Obama Presidential Center

Fri Oct 9 2026, 12:30 to 2pmFreeJournalist Natalie Moore (Medill) and historian Leslie Harris discuss the newly opened Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side and its impact on Chicago's architectural and racial landscape. Preceded by a lunchtime reception at 12pm; followed by a curator's tour of Picturing the Modern Metropolis at 2:15pm.

Lecture: Catty Dan Zhang, "Clouds on a Leash"

Wed Oct 7 2026, all dayUIC School of Architecture public lecture by Catty Dan Zhang, "Clouds on a Leash."

Book Launch: Art Deco World

Wed Oct 7 2026, 5pmArchitectural historian Max Chavez launches 'Art Deco World: The International Legacy of the Architecture and Design Movement' with a talk on Art Deco's global reach, preceded by a 5 p.m. reception and followed by a book signing.

Francesco Marullo: "Making a Little Go a Long Way"

Tue Oct 6 2026, 4 to 5:30pmAs part of the UIC Institute for the Humanities' Faculty Fellow Lecture Series, Associate Professor Francesco Marullo presents a lecture on estrangement in domestic architecture, from Brecht and Benjamin's 1931 conversation to Chicago's steel frames, glass houses, and residential hotels.

Neighbor Night

Mon Oct 5 2026, all dayEvening of mini architecture tours, hands-on LEGO building with a live jazz pianist, a DJ in the Skyscraper Gallery, and food samples in the Chicago Gallery exploring the Chicago Model and transit-oriented development.

Designight 2026

Thu Oct 1 2026, 6 to 7:30pmAIA Chicago's signature annual awards celebration honoring the Design Excellence Awards, Decarbonization Award, and the public-voted Lerch Bates People's Choice Awards, with an after party to follow.

Lecture: Balsa Crosetto Piazzi, "WALLS"

Wed Sep 30 2026, 4:30pmFreeOpening lecture of UIC's Fall 2026 Public Program: Juan Manuel Balsa, Rocio Crosetto Brizzio, and Leandro Piazzi explore the wall as both a material condition and an architectural device, built by hand as a critical tool for spatial, typological, cultural, and environmental change. Followed by a conversation with Associate Professor Thomas Kelley.

Tour & Talk: Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo

Tue Sep 29 2026, all dayGuided walking tour of Studio Gang's 14-acre Nature Boardwalk led by Studio Gang and Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute. Learn how the design was influenced by Chicago-region ecology and how wildlife returned to the site. Connected to the CAC's Flyway City exhibition.

Open House for Wright Plus Research

Sat Sep 26 2026, 10amFreeLearn how Wright Plus researchers and house captains unearthed stories of the architects and clients who shaped Oak Park homes; co-chairs share archival research and homeowner interviews. Free; registration required.

Panel: Flourishing Environments

Sat Sep 26 2026, 1pmPart of the international symposium Shaping Contemporary Realities: Architecture and Beyond. Architects, landscape architects, planners and artists from SOM, Studio Gang and Paris discuss how people and nature share urban spaces, plus a free reception and access to the Flyway City and Chicago's Living Habitat exhibitions.

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