OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO RETURNS WITH IN-PERSON EVENTS by Dave Hamilton, except where noted
O
pen House Chicago takes sites from around the city and, for one weekend, opens them up to the public, even sites that are rarely open for public viewing. One of the best parts is that it is completely free, therefore inclusive to anyone, regardless of income status. There are over 100 sites all around the city over the weekend of October 16 and 17, including mansions (The Wheeler, Lang House Chicago), office buildings (Wintrust Grand Banking Hall, Bank of America Tower), public buildings (Fine Arts Building, Harold Washington Library Center), churches (First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, First Church of Deliverance), breweries (Lake Effect Brewing Company, Eris Brewery & Cider House), art studios (Kenar Studio, Sulzen Fine Art Studio), apartments (The Penthouse Hyde Park, 5040-5060 North Marine Drive) and more. In addition to the sites, the Chicago Architecture Center has also developed a list of "trails," which are self-guided tours for walking, biking or driving. The trails are available on the free Open House Chicago app, downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store (search OHC2021). The trails will be available all month long, to allow Chicago architecture fans to experience them at their own pace. Some highlight trails are: The Great Chicago Fire; Obamas in Hyde Park (see page 13); Helmut Jahn (in conjunction with the CAC’s current exhibit “Helmut Jahn: Life + Architecture"); and many more. With all of this to get through in two days, it can be a little overwhelming. We decided to help narrow down the list by highlighting some can’t-miss sites and trails of Open House Chicago 2021.
1. ALBANY PARK / AVONDALE / IRVING PARK
2.
2. Irish American Heritage Center 1. Eris Brewery 4626 N. Knox Ave. & Cider House Sat & Sun 10 am - 5 pm 4240 W. Irving Park Rd. The Irish American Heritage CenSat & Sun 10 am - 5 pm The 17-foot-tall windows on the ter (IAHC), 4626 N. Knox Ave., east and west elevations and the near the junction of the Kennedy soaring ceilings at 4240 W. Ir- and Edens expressways, has ving Park Road “were love at first been a labor of love since it was sight” for Katy Pizza, managing purchased in 1985 and transpartner of Eris Brewery and Cider formed through the volunteer laHouse, the first establishment in bor of its members in the trades. Illinois to make cider, brew beer Visitors to Open House Chicago and run a full-service restaurant will see not only preserved architectural elements of the former under one roof. The women-owned business Chicago Public School built in won the 2019 Landmarks Illinois 1927, but decorative artwork on Richard H. Driehaus Foundation its walls inspired by the medieval Award for adaptive reuse of the Book of Kells, done over 35 years former MCMX Masonic Temple, by former art teacher Ed Cox. built around 1910 and used in A year-round hub for Irish music the ’80s as a Korean Presbyte- and culture, the building features rian Church. In addition to tack- a library, ballroom with crystal ling deferred maintenance, the chandeliers, 658-seat theater, art restoration focused on sustain- gallery, museum and gift shop. ability and energy efficiency, right Its Fifth Province pub was dedown to a geothermal heating signed to look like a traditional and cooling system that captures Irish gathering space where the and reuses waste energy from community discusses news and the brewing process for heat and sports and listens to live music. hot water. There are also hand- Founding tradesmen of the cenriveted steel beams, brick walls ter – stonemasons, carpenters, woodworkers, tile masters and and light fixtures. As a fraternal organization and pipe fitters -- reused wood from then a church, the building was the school for the service bar a bit of a mystery, Pizza said, but and chalkboards for its counternow it is open to the communi- top. Modern Ireland consists of ty – a destination for socializing four provinces, so the name reand an economic driver for the fers to both the ancient province neighborhood. Open House visi- of Meath and the worldwide Irish tors will be provided a map for a diaspora. 15-20 minute self-guided tour of Open House Chicago guests will architectural points of interest in- be able to tour the building on Alt-J their own or sign up for docentside and out. escorted tours. The Fifth Province -by Suzanne Hanney Photo by Eric Allix Rogers will be serving food and beverages with ongoing musical per-
