Tours

Love Architecture? Join us for a tour!

WALF members organize tours designed to deepen appreciation for both historic and contemporary Chicago architecture. Tours frequently feature buildings under construction or recently completed, led by architects involved in the project.

Tours cost $35 for non-members, $25 for members, and $15 for students.

Photography © Eric Laignel, Design by Gensler

Upcoming Tour – Old Post Office (433 W. Van Buren Street, Chicago)

Weds, Oct 27, 2021, 10:30am

After sitting vacant for nearly two decades, The Old Post Office has just completed an $800 million renovation, the largest historic redevelopment in the country! Tour lead by Grant C. Uhlir, Regional Managing Principal for Gensler, and senior manager for the Old Post Office project.

Tour Meets in the Main Lobby (ground floor off Van Buren St.)

Parking Details: Parking is available in the building (access the garage at 404 W. Harrison St at the south side of the building). Hourly rates apply. You can access the Main Lobby inside directly from the Garage. More info on parking can be found at this link: https://post433.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TOPO_Accessibility_March_2021.pdf

All COVID protocols for the City of Chicago and State of Illinois must be followed, including wearing masks for the duration of the tour. The tour will include the Ground Floor, Second Floor and the Roof Top Terrace. All up and down will be by elevator or escalator, but the building is very large (250,000 sq ft per floor) and so there will be a fair amount of walking.

A bit more about this historic restoration: Today, the property boasts over 2.5 million square feet of stunning multi-use office and event space, and is poised to once again become the central hub of Chicago’s business community. The historically minded restoration and repositioning, including restoration of the building’s facade, windows, main lobby, Postmaster-General’s suite, and historic corridors. This project was as much about transformation as it was about the research of what once was. Gensler has created detailed documentation of existing equipment including scales, mail chutes, conveyors, historic corridors, original mosaic tile floors, and plaster ceilings. Preservation of these elements is paired with graphic stories and displays of postal relics to capture a unique brand experience that speaks to the building’s history and its purpose moving forward. The development is LEED certified.

RSVP Here by Oct 23! Fill out the form below & Make your ticket payment through the PayPal Donation button or at the event.

Any questions? Email us at walfchicago@gmail.com