Chicago

We had the wonderful opportunity to go back to Chicago in June for the AIA National Convention.  This has always been one of Ben's dreams to attend and when we saw it was in Chicago this year we immediately booked our trip. After checking in at the hotel we headed over to McCormick Place to register. We knew this was going to be a big event, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer scale of the convention hall.  The exhibit hall measured 900' x 900' and classrooms were spread over 4 levels. That evening we attended an advocacy reception.

  

Thursday was a packed day for Ben with the opening keynote and a full schedule of classes to attend. Johanna spent the day relaxing and touring the Art Institute of Chicago at a more leisurely pace than our last highlight hitting tour.  Thursday evening is the alumni receptions. We started at the NC State Design School reception and then headed over to the Clemson Reception. It was fantastic catching up with many people I haven't seen in years.
Friday started off with a tour of the Aqua Tower with Jeannie Gang. This was an amazing experience to be able to tour a new icon of the Chicago skyline with the award winning architect. The fog had let up that morning, providing fantastic views of the building and surrounding Chicago skyline.

 

 Afterwards we walked around the Expo Hall. It was impressive to see companies with their full scale booths, which often featured working display units. Friday evening was the South Atlantic Region Reception followed by the official "Party" at the Art Institute of Chicago. This was an incredible event with thousands of fellow architects from all over the world.

 

Saturday morning Ben went back for one more class on Disaster Response for Historic Properties. It was a highly engaging class and highlighted a desperate need in South Carolina.  If Charleston takes a direct hit from a hurricane, a system needs to be in place to secure and protect historic buildings.
After the session we meet up and went for a walk through Lincoln Park to the Chicago Zoo. It was great to see a free public zoo in such an urban area, but in some ways the zoo seemed dated and the enclosures way too small. For dinner that night we went to Sable a restaurant we had stumbles upon on our last visit to Chicago. They are famous for the their huge bourbon collection and serving small sample portions of everything meant to be shared with your companions. Afterwards we walked around Chicago, enjoying the first clear evening since we arrived. We hated leaving the next morning, wishing for just one more day to explore this amazing city.