Respect the edifice

ICYMI, over the last few years there's been some controversy surrounding of the razing of the Downtown Plaza in order to make room for a new high-rise hotel, Chain Restaurantlandia and a casual new spot for our local sports team to do sports. To put it another way: The city's skyline is changing quickly and dramatically. What better time to immerse yourself in the history, future and present culture of our local architecture with the 2015 Experience Architecture Week put on by the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter?

Events kick off on Thursday, October 22, at noon with the Top of the City New “Sites” Tour; participants will head out on a self-paced tour that stops in at the Warehouse Artist Lofts, the aforementioned sports complex and more. Tickets are $10 and architects will be present at each site to provide information. That evening, head over to a 6 p.m. screening of the short film No Time For Ugliness in Mariposa Hall at Sac State (6000 J Street), which touches on cases of urban renewal and preservation of historical buildings in cities like Detroit and Washington, D.C.; tickets are $20, free for students.

On Saturday, October 24, architecture experts Bob Chase and Peter Saucerman host the Tour d’Architecture Bike Tour, which will lead participants to various local stops where they'll have exclusive access to architects and developers; the tour begins at 10 a.m. at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office (1400 S Street) and tickets are $15. At 7 p.m. the offices will host the Architectura Obscura photo exhibit, which comprises contest entries centered around the theme of “looking up.” Tickets are $10 and include snacks and beer from New Helvetia Brewing Co.

Bringing the event to a close is a screening of the documentary Making Space: 5 Women Changing the Face of Architecture, which follows the work of rising international stars Annabelle Selldorf, Farshid Moussavi, Odile Decq, Marianne McKenna and Kathryn Gustafson. A panel discussion comprised of local women architects will follow. Tickets are $8-$14 and the screening will take place at 3 p.m. at the Crocker Art Museum (216 O Street). To purchase tickets for all events and for more information, visit http://aiacv.org/da-exparch.