Oct, 1, 2010,
9:20 AM

October 9th is DOCOMOMO US Tour Day

Saturday, October 9, 2010 marks the 4th annual DOCOMOMO US Tour Day, which features more than 20 tours of modern architecture in the United States, including 5 in Chicago.

Hosted by Chicago Architecture Foundation, Mies & Modernism: The IIT Campus is a guided tour that includes the work of Mies, Jahn, and Koolhaas and will offer a look at the recent renovations at Carr Chapel.

Tickets are available 15-20 minutes before the tour starts. Advance reservations are not required. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and free for CAF members. This event qualifies for 2.0 AIA continuing education credits.

With 12 regional chapters in the US, DOCOMOMO is an international working party for the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement.

Visit the DOCOMOMO site for more details.

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Aug, 9, 2010,
11:08 AM

Save the date: Chicago’s Modern Marvels

Chicago’s Modern Marvels: Robie House and Crown Hall After Hours

Thursday, September 30, 2010

6 p.m.

Join us for two extraordinary open houses featuring two of Chicago’s modern marvels: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s S. R. Crown Hall.

Count on a festive evening of exploring both spaces with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in a casual setting. Start at either location for a guided tour or wander the spaces on your own. Trolleys will depart from Robie House and Crown Hall every half hour.

Tickets are $35 for members of the Mies van der Rohe Society or the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust; $40 for non-members. Book your tickets today!

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Jul, 29, 2010,
7:13 PM

And in this corner…

Hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Modern Views: A Project to Benefit Farnsworth House and the Glass House asks “contemporary artists, architects and designers to continue one of the 20th Century’s great cultural dialogues—the historic exchange reflected in Mies van der Rohe’s Farsworth House and Philip Johnson’s Glass House.”

This tongue-in-cheek interpretation of the Mies/Johnson “dialogue” by designer Demian Repucci has us giggling with delight [ed. note: We can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a t-square tattoo on Mies’ bicep].

Modern Views is scheduled to appear on the Chicago scene at The Arts Club of Chicago on September 16th.

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Jul, 28, 2010,
6:47 PM

Next stop: LEGO City

Nearly 1,200 kids (and parents) descended upon Crown Hall last Saturday to craft a sprawling, small-scale cityscape made entirely of LEGOS. Their creations combine to make a colorful 3,000-square foot city.

The entire project will be on exhibit in Crown Hall—under Andy Warhol’s Silver Clouds—through August 1st.

[Exactly how do you wrangle a thousand pint-sized architects? With a carefully crafted, 3,000 sq. ft. ground plan, that’s how.]

This program was made possible by the Mies van der Rohe Society’s partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

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