Exelon Pavilions, Chicago

The Exelon Pavilions 鈥� Millennium Park鈥檚 high-tech, energy-savvy little overachievers. Built in 2004 for a cool $7 million, these structures aren鈥檛 just pretty faces; they鈥檙e solar-powered machines that crank out enough juice each year to keep 16 energy-efficient homes happily humming along. Think of them as the park鈥檚 quiet green geniuses.

Up north, you've got two sleek black cubes 鈥� minimalist, moody, and very on-brand 鈥� designed to vibe with the neighboring Harris Theater for Music and Dance. That theater, by the way, was the brainchild of Thomas Beeby, a Driehaus Prize winner and all-around architecture rockstar. One of the cubes rolls out the welcome mat as the park鈥檚 official Welcome Center; the other acts as your stylish on-ramp to the underground parking garages. Bonus trivia is that both pavilions are the proud owners of the Midwest鈥檚 first electricity-generating curtain walls. Yes, walls that make power. The future is glassy...

Now heading south, things get a little sunnier 鈥� and a lot more Italian. Enter the two smaller Exelon Pavilions designed by Renzo Piano, the Italian architect whose notable works include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, The Shard in London, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, to mention but a few. With their combo of clean limestone and crystal-clear glass, these buildings were crafted to play nice with the nearby Art Institute鈥檚 expansion plans. Pulitzer-winning architecture critic Blair Kamin gave this whole architect-led approach a standing ovation, calling it a stroke of brilliance. Had the job gone to an average contractor, he joked, we鈥檇 probably be stuck with bland utility boxes. Instead, we got something special...

Kamin called the southern pair 鈥渁lmost like little houses鈥濃€攊f your house happens to be a modernist masterpiece. His ultimate verdict鈥攁 solid 3 out of 4 stars. Not perfect, but in architecture terms, that鈥檚 practically a red carpet review...

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Exelon Pavilions
Sight Location: Chicago, USA (See walking tours in Chicago)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Millennium and Grant Parks Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Chicago, Illinois

Create Your Own Walk in Chicago

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chicago is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Millennium and Grant Parks Walking Tour

The city of Chicago is renowned for its outdoor green spaces. One such 鈥渇orever free and open鈥� space, is called Grant Park and was established in 1844. In fact, upon foundation, it was called Lake Park, but was renamed in 1901 after the American Civil War General and United States President, Ulysses S. Grant.

Popularly referred to as 鈥淐hicago's front lawn,鈥� this lakefront park is... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

Chicago Introduction Walking Tour

Chicago, perched on the shores of Lake Michigan in Illinois, is a city steeped in history and urban vibrancy. Known by numerous nicknames such as the Windy City and the City of Big Shoulders, it boasts a skyline marked by towering structures. The area of today's Chicago, initially inhabited by Native American tribes, saw its first European-settled reference as "Chicagou" in 1679, a... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles

Chicago Old Town Walking Tour

Settled in 1850 by German immigrants, Chicago鈥檚 Old Town neighborhood is a popular destination for locals and visitors who cater to the entertainment venues, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and boutiques 鈥� all of which have turned an area once referred to as the 鈥淐abbage Patch鈥� into an attraction that rivals Navy Pier, Wrigley Field and the Magnificent Mile.

Start your Old Town walking... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Chicago Navy Pier Walking Tour

Additional to scenic views of the lake, the boats, and the city skyline, the Navy Pier offers a variety of attractions on the waterfront 鈥� for kids as well as adults 鈥� that draw nearly ten million people annually, making this Chicago's most visited spot. Yes, some may see it as a 鈥渢ourist trap鈥�, but it is worth the time and money to spend some time here, so take this self-guided walk... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

The Magnificent Mile Walking Tour

The stretch of Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Lake Shore Drive, otherwise known as the Magnificent Mile, is regarded as one of the world鈥檚 great avenues 鈥� or Chicago鈥檚 version of Fifth Avenue. Take this self-guided walk to explore its whole stretch and surrounding area, featuring a wide selection of amazing stores/malls, world-known museums, restaurants and spectacular... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles

Chicago Chinatown Walking Tour

Tucked away just south of the Loop, the Chinatown of Chicago was established in 1912 and is considered one of the best examples of American Chinatown. While it may be one of Chicago鈥檚 smallest neighborhoods geographically, it is big on character, colors, sights, sounds, and flavors. Here, you鈥檒l find a wide range of unique boutiques, specialty shops, religious sights, authentic Chinese... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles

View all walking tours in Chicago, Illinois

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