'Thinking into the Future' event brings architect Rafael Viñoly to Logan for discussion

World-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly will be in Chicago on Monday, Oct. 8 to talk about design innovation in the 21st century, as well as his current project on the University of Chicago campus.

The event marks the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust’s second annual “Thinking into the Future: The Robie House Series on Architecture, Design and Ideas.” This year the event is sponsored in partnership with the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects and Chicago Ideas Week.

Viñoly, who designed the Center for Care and Discovery [1], the newly named hospital pavilion at the University of Chicago Medicine, will speak about his vision for public architecture. He also will participate in an interactive discussion with UChicago leaders to discuss the hospital project and the challenges of incorporating innovation into a building for medical purposes.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8 at the new Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., preceded by a cocktail reception at 5 p.m.

Admission to the presentation, interactive discussion and cocktail reception is $20 for Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust members; University of Chicago alumni, and faculty and staff members; and AIA Chicago members; $25 for non-members; and $5 for students. Tickets are available online at GoWright.org [2].

Architect Rafael Viñoly

Courtesy of The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust

Recognized as one of the most innovative architects of our time, Viñoly has been a major presence in architecture for nearly half a century. His first project in Chicago was the University of Chicago Booth School of Business adjacent to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. The school’s architecture style echoes the horizontal composition of Wright’s iconic design. Viñoly has led dozens of major public projects worldwide, including the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and the International Forum in Tokyo.

Now under construction, Viñoly’s Center for Care and Discovery [1] at the University of Chicago Medicine is scheduled to open in early 2013. Designed for long-term needs, the building will accommodate perpetual and unpredictable changes in patient care and clinical research. The new facility will feature a grid system organized into modules and will allow reconfiguration to meet future needs for programming and equipment upgrades.

"Thinking into the Future: The Robie House Series on Architecture, Design and Ideas" engages leading international, national and Chicago voices in architecture, design and contemporary culture. Taking Wright’s forward-thinking philosophy as expressed in the Frederick C. Robie House, the program explores current ideas and issues in architecture, design and society that stimulate debate. Designed in 1908, the Robie House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s most innovative Prairie-style home. The American Institute of Architects named Robie House one of the 10 most important architectural works of the 20th century.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust provides public tours and educational programs at three Wright-designed structures: his Home and Studio in Oak Park, Ill.; the Robie House in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood; and The Rookery lobby in the Chicago Loop.