Guild Row is a new type of social club that offers experiences around making things. Their 20,000-square-foot flagship campus, opened in Avondale in 2020, is an initiative led by development company PLATFORM and designed by emerging Chicago-based architecture practice, DAAM Projects. The four buildings, constructed throughout the 20th century in an industrial enclave by the Chicago River, long served as home to a dental tool manufacturer.
Guild Row is a dynamic hub for hosting artisan-led classes and community craft experiences. Rather than pursue a strategy of strict preservation, DAAM created a design framework using the architectural operations of addition, subtraction, and connection to create a series of flexible rooms arranged around an open-air courtyard that celebrate the buildings’ rich manufacturing legacy while embracing its future as a place for craft and community.
Visitor Experience
Guild Row will be hosting an Octoberfest event concurrent with OHC. Food and beverages will be available for purchase for all visitors. Members of DAAM, the building’s architect, will be onsite and offering tours approximately every 30 minutes.
