Chicago Architecture Center

I partly feel responsible for that because we was promoing it so much.

Shout out to the Chicago Architecture Center.

But it got me thinking, Mariah, what is something in Chicago you are willing to wait a long line for? I've seen uptown theater.

I've seen breakfast sandwiches, people trying to see Amy Poehler when she leaving the Vic.

More than 200 locations across 30 neighborhoods are opening their doors.

It is absolutely free and hosted by the Chicago Architectural Center.

Tours run today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will make history today.

You can set your own itinerary to get behind-the-scenes access to iconic landmarks and standout spaces across the city.

The free event is hosted by the Chicago Architectural Center.

There's a so-called thrift riot happening today in Wicker Park.

Around 20 secondhand stores opening up shop on Damen Avenue in Milwaukee.

Exactly.

But the real move with Open House Chicago from Chicago Architecture Center is taking advantage of being able to go into these buildings that are private buildings all year round, except for one time when they open it.

So there's so much cool stuff.

It's one of my favorite weekends in the city.

He's curated a whole itinerary for this weekend.

It's got the Hector Duarte studio in it.

Nikki's of Beverly smash plastic record pressing, which the Chicago Architecture Center, we love them.

We appreciate them being one of our sponsors.

The 16th annual Open House Chicago is this weekend, and features a lineup of more than 200 sites across more than 30 neighborhoods.

Joining us now with a preview is Adam Ruben, senior director of public engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center.

Welcome to Chicago Tonight.

I'm glad to be here.

The article said that the inaugural Chicago event wasn't a new concept entirely, London had a program going back to 1992, and New York was celebrating its ninth year of this, but that Chicago and Helsinki were now instituting their very first open houses.

On today's Block Club Chicago podcast, Lauren Bakos from the Chicago Architecture Center with a preview of year 16 of Open House Chicago.

[upbeat music]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

16 years.

And just give us a sum-up for people that are like, "What are you talking about?" What are we talking about?

Yeah, so Open House Chicago is put on every year by the Chicago Architecture Center, and we work with sites across the city, um, you know, house museums and places of worship and commercial buildings, uh, that aren't normally open to the public, and for this one weekend of the year, we open them up.

So it's totally free for people to go explore.

All right, listeners, hold back real quick.

Coming up, we have a sponsor interview with Adam Rubin, senior director of public engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center, talking all about Open House Chicago.

What's up, y'all? It's Jacobe here with Adam Rubin, senior director of public engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center, and we are talking about one of my favorite festivals, Open House Chicago.

It's coming up later this month, and it's one of the largest architecture and urban festivals in the world, showcasing some of the best architecture this city has to offer and of course some hidden gems along the way.

Adam, welcome to City Cast Chicago.

What can you tell me about this year's Open House Chicago? I know every year is unique and special in its own way.

What's new about this year?

Open House Chicago is a free festival that the Chicago Architecture Center does every October, and what it does is it gives, uh, regular folks behind-the-scenes access to see some of Chicago's most iconic and unique architectural spaces, places that you normally wouldn't be able to see or see programmed in a certain way come alive during Open House Chicago weekend.

You know, we don't have to do the two-hour kind of lifespan, but like how does something like New York Life Insurance Building, an early skyscraper in Chicago, you know, how does this... become and evolve into a hotel like this, into the Kempton Gray?

Yeah, we're really fortunate that the Architectural Foundation of Chicago and Preservation Chicago stepped in and saved this building because it was sitting vacant and neglected for a number of years and could have been torn down.

But just as you mentioned, it was built in 1894.

It was one of the first skyscrapers in Chicago, which is hard to believe now, you know, when we have 100 floor skyscrapers.

There was dozens of different companies that came through here, architectural firms, consulting firms.

Where we're sitting now, Volume 39 was at one point a small private bank.

During that long history, and then yeah, sat neglected for a number of years and Kempton and Gensler and the Architectural Foundation of Chicago all stepped in and saw the vision to modernize it into a gorgeous hotel and

very thankful that happened.

If you're curious about getting a peek inside, you're in luck.

The Chicago Architecture Center just announced it's been added to the list of buildings taking part in Open House Chicago.

Last year, Nick Blumberg brought us the story of the dedicated group of people hoping to see the long vacant movie palace restored and reopened.

The 46,000 square foot Uptown Theater opened its doors in August 1925 with much fanfare.