The Architecture of Chicago’s West Side with Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey

Join Chicago Sun Times architecture critic and author of Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side, Lee Bey, for insights around his upcoming book on the architecture of Chicago’s West Side.  Often overlooked and underappreciated, the west side of the city is just as fascinating and important as its neighbor to the north.  Mr. Bey will share his perspective from over 30 years of writing and photographing his hometown.

Note: Please pre-register for this event on the Riverside Public Library website.

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHY

Lee Bey is architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and ABC7 News Chicago.

He was also a member of the Sun-Times editorial board for six years where he wrote editorials on city governance, neighborhood development, politics and urban planning.

Bey is the author of the much-praised book Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side (Northwestern University Press, 2019), which showcases his architectural photography and social commentary. 

He was also the host of the public television special, Building Blocks: The Architecture of Chicago’s South Side, which aired on WTTW in 2023. Bey earned a 2023 Midwest Emmy nomination for his work on the program.

He is also an in-demand speaker and media commentator on the subjects of architecture, urban planning, Chicago history and late 20th century Black history and culture.

Bey is an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture.

A recipient of the 2021 Julius Shulman Institute Excellence in Photography Award, and the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Bey is currently working on a book that documents the architecture of Chicago’s West Side.