CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2017 : SC Johnson and the Chicago Architecture Biennial announced today that SC Johnson will once again offer free tours of the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed architecture at its Racine, Wisconsin, global headquarters during the 2017 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. SC Johnson's Administration Building is the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed office space still in use today.
From September 16, 2017, to January 7, 2018, SC Johnson will offer free tours and motor coach transportation to the public from the Chicago Cultural Center - the hub of the Chicago Architecture Biennial - to the Racine campus and back. Free and open to the public, tours will be offered Thursday through Sunday and reservations are required. All tours include the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Research Tower and Administration Building; The SC Johnson Gallery: At Home with Frank Lloyd Wright, the award-winning Foster + Partners-designed Fortaleza Halland time in TheLily Pad gift shop. Weekend trips also include Wingspread. Additionally, SC Johnson will open its campus for "Wright at Night" evening tours with Community Programs at SC Johnson's Golden Rondelle Theater. Free motor coach transportation to/from Chicago will be available for these events as well."SC Johnson is proud to support the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which attracts and inspires millions of people to discover architectural treasures from Chicago to our company's hometown in Racine, Wisconsin," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "Our global headquarters in Racine is home to two great Frank Lloyd Wright structures, and we are pleased to share these remarkable creations with the world and introduce them to a new generation of enthusiasts."
SC Johnson's support of the Chicago Architecture Biennial reflects the company's long-standing commitment to preserving the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright and creating innovative architectural works in the region. SC Johnson contributed $1 million to the first edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2015, and is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2017 edition, with a transformative $2.5 million contribution. The company's campus features two world-renowned, signature Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings: the Administration Building, which opened in 1939, and its vertical compliment the Research Tower, which opened in 1950. The company restored the Research Tower and opened it to the public in 2014.
"One of the key missions of the Biennial is to provide a wide range of programs for Chicagoans and visitors to the city. SC Johnson's fiscal support of the Biennial has made countless programs possible. The tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings on the SC Johnson campus are among the Biennial's most popular offerings, and we are delighted that they are opening up their corporate home to the public once again," said Jack Guthman, Chair of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
"The 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial is a testament to our city's reputation as the vanguard of architecture and design on the national and international stage," said Mayor Emanuel. "SC Johnson is helping to bring awareness to Frank Lloyd Wright's uniquely American style of architecture, and to the legacy he launched in Chicago at the start of his career."
