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Enhanced visitor experience created for new Chicago Architecture Center

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Scott Russell Scott Russell Principal, Americas West Leader,Los Angeles
25 June 2018

The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is set to open its new home, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) on 29 August 2018. The 20,000ft2 centre will be located on the Chicago River in the Loop, in one of the last buildings completed by the office of Mies van der Rohe. Arup provided acoustic and audiovisual design services for the new home of everything architecture in Chicago. 

The interior space is designed in true Miesian style — with an emphasis on volume through thin panes of glass, exposed base columns, stone flooring, and steel beams. The expansive 40ft tall wall of glass fronting the building creates an exciting space for orientations to CAF’s popular walking tours and a new exhibition space which will feature the skyscraper gallery (scale models of famous skyscrapers from Chicago and around the world).

View of the CAF Center and the river View of the CAF Center and the river
The new home for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, located on the Chicago River in the Loop.
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We’ve engineered a stimulating and immersive space where visitors can have fun discovering Chicago’s groundbreaking architecture — and appreciate its profound impact on the world. ” Lynn Osmond CAF’s president and CEO

Arup collaborated with CAF and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture to integrate acoustic and audiovisual design solutions into the atrium and exhibition areas — enhancing the visitor experience while respecting the Miesian style. Integrated sound absorbing treatments aid in occupant comfort and promote speech intelligibility.

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The aural experience of the CAC will serve a variety of visitor profiles and programmes to ensure quality point-to-point communication and maximise outreach and education. The visual volume of the space is complemented by a balanced acoustic energy that entices you to look and listen throughout the facility, all while discovering why design matters. ”

Ryan Biziorek Ryan Biziorek Associate Principal, Acoustics, Audiovisual, and Theatre Consulting

A similarly large volume lecture hall and design studio are also a key part of the CAC, and support CAF’s extensive education and public programmes. The lecture hall features a state-of-the-art audiovisual system that enhances the quality of public programmes for in-person and remote content consumption. Electro-acoustic and acoustic 3D computer models were built to optimise the location and performance of the acoustic and audio solutions. The results of these models were compared to acoustic measurements of the atrium and lecture hall space taken at CAF’s previous home, to ensure that the design provided a superior experience.

A week-long series of celebrations will kick-off the week before the CAC’s official opening on 29 August. 

Rendering of the street view of the CAC
Rendering of the CAC's lobby area
Rendering of the Chicago Model Experience at the CAC
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View of the Chicago Architecture Center from Wacker Drive