CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.- The Art Institute of Chicago presents Chicago Architecture: Ten Visions, through April 3, 2005. Chicago Architecture: Ten Visions presents diverse views of the future of Chicago’s built environment from 10 internationally renowned architects. The architects were selected from an invited competition juried by architects Stanley Tigerman and Harry Cobb, in collaboration with curators from the Art Institute’s Department of Architecture. The 10 architects reflect a cross section of Chicago’s vibrant architectural scene—from large and small firms as well as the academic community—bringing to this exhibition diverse experiences and insights. Each architect was asked to define an important issue for the future of Chicago and create a “spatial commentary” on that particular theme. Within a lively plan designed by Stanley Tigerman, each of the participants has curated and designed his or her own mini-exhibition in a space of approximately 21 feet square. Tigerman’s setting creates a linear sequence in which visitors pass through the architects’ spaces to an interactive area where the architects’ commentaries can be heard by picking up a telephone. Visitors are encouraged to record their comments on any and all of the “ten visions.”

Chicago Architecture: Ten Visions not only includes traditional plans, models, and projected images but also highlights the spaces themselves as artworks that create a complete environment for the visitor, encourage speculation about Chicago’s future, and demonstrate the ideas currently fueling the imagination of the city’s architectural community. The wide variety of themes developed by the participants illustrates a broad range of ideas concerning the future of Chicago architecture. Their thought-provoking installations explore issues such as affordable housing, education, immigration, and regional planning.