Entitled SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2025 is led by Artistic Director Florencia Rodriguez. Its theme signals the opportunity and need to change direction — an invitation to think with others and to set new grounds for the interpretation and design of our built environments. This edition of the biennial explores how architecture engages with the profound cultural, social, and environmental transformations shaping our world today and explores the possibility of envisioning alternate paths forward.

Featuring over 100 projects by architects, artists, and designers from 30 countries, SHIFT convenes voices from around the world, in a citywide constellation of exhibitions and public programs. Together, they address urgent questions shaping the spaces we inhabit, such as housing, ecology, and material innovation, to demonstrate architecture’s role in shaping our collective future.