What to expect at the new Chicago Architecture Center

The exhibits weren’t fully installed when I dropped in to preview the new home of the Chicago Architecture Center (formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation) last week, but on a return visit this week everything was up and running.

The center, now in a two-story space in a riverfront Mies van der Rohe building at 111 E. Wacker, opened to the public this weekend, offering a museum experience along with its roster of 85 tours.

There’s an entrance fee of $12 for adults, $8 for students, but if you take one of CAC’s walking or bus tours, admission to the center’s exhibits will be included.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find there:

Spectacular views outside, especially from the second-story Skyscraper Gallery, reached via a grand wooden staircase (or an elevator ride).  The center, a few steps east of Michigan Avenue on Wacker, looks north across the river, toward Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building.…