The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennal is not just about the ‘new’, and the present and future of architecture; it is also a celebration of the North American city’s iconic existing building stock. The reopening of the Stony Island Arts Bank during the Biennal's launch festivities is a case in point.
Built in 1923 to a design by William Gibbons Uffendell, the bank was once the heart of a vibrant Chicago neighbourhood, but had in recent years fallen into disrepair. Enter artist, urban planner and Rebuild Foundation founder Theaster Gates Jr, who is behind the building’s makeover and relaunch this weekend.
The newly restored Stony Island Arts Bank is part of the non-profit Rebuild Foundation’s ambitious program in the area and is set to become a beating heart for the local community once more.
Acting as an exhibition and events centre, and a multi-disciplinary platform for art, architecture and black culture, the space opens to the public with an installation by Portuguese artist Carlos Bunga. Apart from temporary shows, the centre will also house a collection of more than 60,000 glass lantern slides from the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as the late producer and DJ Frankie Knuckles’ vinyl collection.
'This is a new kind of cultural amenity, a new kind of institution – a hybrid gallery, media archive and library, and community centre', says Gates. 'It is an institution of and for the South Side – a repository for African American culture and history, a laboratory for the next generation of black artists and culture-interested people; a platform to showcase future leaders, be they painters, educators, scholars, or curators.'
Built in 1923 to a design by William Gibbons Uffendell, the bank was once the heart of a vibrant Chicago neighbourhood, but had in recent years fallen into disrepair.
The founder of The Rebuild Foundation, Theaster Gates Jr, is behind the building’s makeover and relaunch this weekend. courtesy Hedrich Blessing
The newly restored Arts Bank is part of the non-profit Foundation’s ambitious program in the area, set to become a beating heart for the local community once more. courtesy Hedrich Blessing.
The space is an exhibition and events centre – a multi-disciplinary platform for art, architecture and black culture. courtesy Hedrich Blessing
'This is a new kind of cultural amenity, a new kind of institution – a hybrid gallery, media archive and library, and community centre', says Gates. Courtesy Hedrich Blessing
The space opens to the public with an installation by Portuguese artist Carlos Bunga. Courtesy Hedrich Blessing
The centre will also house a collection of more than 60,000 glass lantern slides from the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. courtesy Hedrich Blessing
INFORMATION
For more information visit Stony Island Arts Bank
Images courtesy Rebuild Foundation
ADDRESS
Stony Island Arts Bank
6760 S Stony Island Ave
Chicago, IL 60649
-
Debuts, dandies, Demi Moore: 25 fashion moments that defined 2025 in style2025 was a watershed year in fashion. As selected by the Wallpaper* style team, here are the 25 moments that defined the zeitgeist
-
The RIBA Asia Pacific Awards reward impactful, mindful architecture – here are the winnersThe 2025 RIBA Asia Pacific Awards mark the accolade’s first year – and span from sustainable mixed-use towers to masterplanning and housing
-
Holland & Holland's Range Rover is outstanding in its field: shoot the breeze in styleCan you spare half a million pounds for a glorified four-wheeled gun cabinet? If so, the Range Rover Holland & Holland Edition by Overfinch might be the perfect fit
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
