At an intimate breakfast at The Modern restaurant in New York City Monday morning, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel joined curators, artists and architects to announce the participants of the second Chicago Architecture Biennial, an exhibition of more than 100 international architecture firms and artists scheduled for September 16 this year through January 7, 2018.
Intended to inspire discussion about the future of cities worldwide, as well as their role in the current political climate, the Chicago Architecture Biennial had its first iteration in 2015, when it became the largest-ever such international architectural exhibition in North America, hosting participants from 30 countries and more than half a million visitors.
"There's a major renaissance in cities right now, across the globe and at every level," Mayor Emanuel told the room Monday morning. And given Chicago's history as an architectural mecca, he added, it's essential for that city to be "at the center of that discussion."