Chicago Architecture Biennial Opens Today, Debuting 70+ Projects at Sites Across Chicago
September 19, 2025
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Chicago Architecture Biennial Opens Today, Debuting 70+ Projects at Sites Across Chicago
Chicago Cultural Center, the Graham Foundation, Stony Island Arts Bank, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and Partner Exhibitions On View Through February
CHICAGO – The Chicago Architecture Biennial is pleased to officially open their sixth edition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, led by Artistic Director Florencia Rodriguez. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience a dynamic lineup of exhibitions, installations, performances, and conversations that will continue to unfold across the city through February 2026.
Featuring more than 70 architects, artists, and designers, the Biennial highlights urgent cultural, social, and environmental transformations and invites the public to explore them firsthand. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.
This year’s exhibition opens today, September 19, across four main venues at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington), Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (4 W. Burton Place), Stony Island Arts Bank (6760 S. Stony Island Ave), and on the grounds of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive), alongside over 60 partner sites across Chicagoland. A full list of current and upcoming exhibitions can be found here.
“Chicago stands at the forefront of global conversations about architecture, design, and innovation,” says Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “With the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial, we are proud to showcase the work of visionary architects and artists from around the world while highlighting the creativity and vitality of our own communities. This Biennial reinforces Illinois’ role as a destination where inspiration propels new ideas, and I invite visitors everywhere to experience the exhibitions and events transforming our city this season.”
The Biennial introduces a new format with SHIFT, a five-month series of major project launches activating cultural spaces, civic landmarks, and neighborhoods across Chicago. From large-scale installations to intimate public programs, the Biennial creates opportunities for engagement and discovery for architecture experts and novices alike.
A full calendar of opening weekend events and a complete list of partners can be found on the Biennial website: chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org.
“Chicago is a city built on bold ideas and shaped by the power of community,” says Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial reflects that spirit, bringing together cultural institutions, civic partners, and international voices to engage with the challenges and opportunities of our time. I am proud to see Chicago at the center of the global dialogue, where creativity and collaboration will help us imagine a more vibrant, inclusive future for all.”
Also new this year, visitors can use The Bloomberg Connects digital guide to access a complete list of Biennial exhibition sites, partners, and events. By scanning the QR code at each SHIFT activation, visitors will have access to multimedia content from Artistic Director, Florencia Rodriguez, artists, and curatorial insights. The Bloomberg Connects digital experience is made possible through the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
In November, the citywide expansion of the Biennial will continue with the opening of a new exhibition site, bringing together over 25 large-scale projects advancing the ideas at the heart of SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change. More information on this site and featured projects will be shared in the coming weeks.
A comprehensive list of SHIFT participants, projects, and sites is available as an appendix, and on chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org.
About the Chicago Architecture Biennial
The Chicago Architecture Biennial convenes the world to explore innovative ideas and collectively imagine the future of design. The Biennial’s large-scale exhibitions, talks, performances, films, and other events, create opportunities to engage timely global issues through the lens of architecture and design, emphasizing creativity and community participation. Free and open to the public, the Chicago Architecture Biennial stands as North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture and design.
Founded in the city that gave birth to the skyscraper and continues to shape the global language of architecture, the Chicago Architecture Biennial celebrates Chicago’s unmatched legacy while boldly projecting its future. The Biennial emerged from the City of Chicago’s 2012 Cultural Plan, which envisioned a platform to highlight the city’s cultural leadership. In collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Graham Foundation, the Chicago Architecture Biennial launched its inaugural edition in 2015.
Since 2015, the Chicago Architecture Biennial has produced five editions that featured more than 400 projects from 40 countries and welcomed over 2.2 million visitors to exhibitions and public programs across Chicago. From Sullivan and Wright to today’s most daring spatial thinkers, the Biennial reaffirms Chicago’s role as a crucible for radical ideas and inclusive design.
Lead support for the Chicago Architecture Biennial is provided by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Good Chaos, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, Amrize, and Illinois Arts Council.
Principal support for Learning programs is provided by the Zell Family Foundation. Additional support by the Crown Family Philanthropies.
Generous support is provided by the MacArthur Foundation, Cari and Michael J. Sacks, Donald R. Wilson Jr. Family Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, Anne L. Kaplan, Sandra and Jack Guthman, Donna C. King Estate, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Mansueto Foundation, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Susan and Bob Wislow, Rooney Family/R4 Services, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Goldman Sachs, Builtworlds, Dedrea and Paul Gray, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Neisser Family Foundation, Related Midwest, Segal Family Foundation, Thornton Tomasetti, Gray Capital Partners, Scan Design Foundation and Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
SHIFT site partners generously provide their space, including the Acadia Realty Trust, Parkside Realty, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and the Rebuild Foundation.
The Bloomberg Connects digital experience is made possible through the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Media Partners include Architectural Record, Dezeen, New York Review of Architecture, and Untapped.
Learn more at chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org.