Architectural Wonders in North Lawndale to open their doors to the public this weekend
A baptist missionary church that used to be a Jewish Synagogue, the former Sears Tower with breathtaking views of the city and an urban farm that’s flourishing right beside the pink line. Those are just some of the sites in North Lawndale that will be opening their doors to the public this weekend.
The five sites — Lagunitas Brewing Company, Nichols Tower, Farm on Ogden, Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church and Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center — were handpicked by folks at Open House Chicago for their architectural, historical and cultural significance. The city-wide festival is curated by the Chicago Architectural Center where people can explore and marvel at over 250 architectural wonders hidden in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
“We like to curate a diverse program of sites that both shows you sort of what’s typical and normal in a neighborhood, as well as what’s extraordinary or unusual or surprising,” said Eric Rogers, manager of Open House Chicago. “We really do believe in the power of people getting firsthand positive experiences in these different communities.”
Rogers said surveys from previous Open House Chicago events revealed that about 92 percent of local visitors of the event said that seeing architecture in different neighborhoods made them proud to be a Chicagoan. About 55,000 of 91,000 unique visitors visited a neighborhood they have never set foot in before, and most of them said it significantly improved their perception of that neighborhood, according to Rogers.
“I think that’s the most important thing that we kind of offer to them, is to get out there and see you know it’s not just what I see in the news everyday. It’s not all bad. There’s a ton of good. There are great people, beautiful sites, beautiful architecture, great things happening in all of these communities,” said Rogers.
Visitwww.openhousechicago.org for more information.