Concrete Culture: Chicago and Beyond, organized by Stewart Hicks, Judith De Jong, and Daniela Osorio Sanudo, is a two-day international conference exploring the cultural, ecological, and architectural significance of concrete.
The event situates Chicago’s concrete legacy within global conversations, drawing together architects, engineers, historians, preservationists, and artists to examine how this material continues to shape spatial experiences and urban narratives. Structured around three themes—What We Have, What We Are Doing, and What We Might Do—the program moves from history to present practice to future possibilities, fostering dialogue on concrete’s past inheritances, contemporary uses, and speculative potentials.
Program Highlights
Friday, October 3, 2025
2:30–5:30 pm
Chicago Architecture Center - Lecture Hall
111 East Wacker Drive
Opening remarks by Stewart Hicks and Judith De Jong
Artist’s talk by photographer Naho Kubota
Session 1: What We Have—Chicago’s concrete legacy, moderated by Alexander Eisenschmidt, featuring Robert Bruegmann, Iker Gil, Thomas Leslie, and Amy Slaton
Evening reception and SOM archival photography exhibition
Saturday, October 4, 2025
10 am–3:30 pm
School of Architecture - Room 1100
Session 2: What We Are Doing—contemporary innovations and preservation, moderated by Judith De Jong, with Martin Corullon, Julie Larsen, Patricia Llosa, and Bob Score
Exhibition openings: photographs by Naho Kubota; Jefferson and Henry Hall renovation; guided UIC campus tour
Session 3: What We Might Do—future trajectories of concrete, moderated by Thomas Leslie, with Ted C. Fishman, Benton Johnson, Roger Hubeli, and Caitlin Mueller
Exhibitions
Running October 1–10 at the UIC School of Architecture:
Photography by Naho Kubota, curated by Jayne Kelley
Preserve, Restore, Celebrate—on the Jefferson and Henry Hall renovations by Krueck Sexton Partners
Temporary exhibition of SOM projects by Walter Netsch
The conference is free and open to the public. For program details please visit concreteculture.uic.edu