By CGN Staff

Chicago is about to welcome a bold, citywide celebration of design and ideas. On September 19, the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) launches SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, bringing together architects, artists, designers, and thinkers to explore how architecture can respond to—and inspire—transformative change.

This fifth edition of the Biennial isn’t just one exhibition. It’s a multi-site, months-long festival that runs through February 28, 2026, weaving conversations and installations across Chicago’s neighborhoods and cultural landmarks.

A Citywide Collaboration

SHIFT is powered by a remarkable network of over 60 partners—from major museums and cultural institutions to innovative architecture firms and community organizations.

These collaborations extend CAB’s reach and deepen its impact, turning the Biennial into a true celebration of Chicago’s creative and civic spirit.

Thaden School, Architects: Marlon Blackwell Associates & EskewDumezRipple. Photo: Timothy Hursley.

Highlights of Opening Weekend

The Biennial kicks off with a lively, not-to-miss opening weekend full of exhibitions, panels, tours, and performances. Here’s a taste of what’s planned:

• Exhibition Tours at the Chicago Cultural Center. Start with a guided tour of the Center’s exhibition spaces led by SHIFT Artistic Director Florencia Rodriguez.
• Designer Sean Canty’s Immersive Installation. A space that doubles as a venue for discussions on publishing’s role in architecture and the nightclub as a lens for understanding collective life.
• Self-Guided Citywide Tour. Visit key SHIFT sites:
• Graham Foundation for Fragmented Manifestos
• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for TRACES
• Stony Island Arts Bank for the lively LOUDREADERS performance.

TAKK (Mireia Luzárraga and Alejandro Muiño), “Fellaria’s Time Capsule”

Spotlight on Program Partners

Several partner institutions are presenting major exhibitions and conversations:

• Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). Hosting The Prize is the Beginning: Illuminating Architectural Excellence Through the Americas Prize (through October) and the September 18 panel New Architecture in a New World, which looks at architecture’s role in shaping change.
• National Public Housing Museum. Showcasing Living in the Shade: Open Space and Public Housing, exploring the history and future of public housing.

More special events include In the Making: A Public Art Journey at The Arts Lawn (September 19), Eyes on the Future at Studio Gang (September 19), and Myth of the Organic City at 6018North (September 19–21), among many others.

Plan Your Visit

The Biennial’s core exhibitions will unfold across several key venues:

• Chicago Cultural Center
• Graham Foundation
• Stony Island Arts Bank
• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

And starting in November, a new exhibition site will open with more than 25 large-scale projects that further expand the conversation.

Free and Open to All

True to its mission, the Chicago Architecture Biennial remains free and open to everyone.

Follow along on Instagram @chicagoarchitecturebiennial for behind-the-scenes previews, event updates, and stories from across the city.

Whether you’re an architecture lover, an artist, or simply curious, SHIFT invites you to see Chicago—and the world—through a new lens.

Full program details and itineraries are available on the Biennial’s website.

Read CGN's interview with CAB Director Jennifer Armetta here from our fall 2025 magazine.