The annual Great Chicago Places and Spaces, a weekend-long celebration of local architecture and design, begins sedately enough with Friday’s 6 PM opening discussion about social housing and community building, with architect Carol Ross Barney, activists Rick Lowe and Raul Raymundo, and former journalist Curtis Lawrence (Chase Auditorium, 10 S. Dearborn). Seating is first-come, first-served starting at 5:15.
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By early the next morning, however, all hell breaks loose as architecture buffs start lining up to get tickets for their top picks from more than 200 free tours led by architects, designers, docents, and other knowledgeable guides. Many are walking tours; others are conducted by bus, el, trolley, boat, bicycle, or even Segway. Registration for some closed May 11, but for many others tickets are available on the day they take place (and only that day) at event headquarters, the Chicago Architecture Foundation ArchiCenter, 224 S. Michigan. Starting at 7:30 AM, you can pick up a max of two tickets per tour for two tours per day. Your ticket should say where the tour starts.
9 AM Architecture River Cruise
Resident historian Bart Swindall unveils the engineering and acoustical secrets of the Adler & Sullivan masterwork. Also 2 PM Sunday.
11:45 Chicago’s Latest Green Homes
Architect Andrew Metter leads a trolley tour of the Pilsen East Art Community Complex–a collection of artist residences and shared gardens owned by the Podmajersky family–and the architectural artifacts collection of prominent preservationist Seymour Persky in River North.
SUNDAY20
