David Rubenstein Forum Brings Innovative Space for ‘Convening the Power of Ideas’ to Campus

The University is now just months away from opening the David Rubenstein Forum, its innovative and much-anticipated new facility for scholarly collaboration, intellectual exchange, special events, and other gatherings. The glass and zinc tower rising at the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and 60^th Street is scheduled for completion in early summer 2020.

The David Rubenstein Forum is envisioned as a hub for “convening the power of ideas” and a resource for all schools, divisions, and offices. It will provide UChicago with highly collaborative, flexible space where scholars can gather for workshops, symposia, conferences, lectures, and other events that faculty and academic departments host. The Forum will be distinctive for its spaces and for its concierge service model supporting event planners and guests.

“The David Rubenstein Forum will contribute meaningfully to the fulfillment of the University’s mission by directly supporting so many of the different activities that daily replenish the lifeblood of our academic and educational environment,” said Executive Vice President David Fithian.

The building is composed of a two-story base and 10-story tower with more than a dozen meeting rooms of various configurations to accommodate many different groups, as well as dignitaries visiting campus. The ground floor includes a main lobby, dining room and wine bar/cafe for conference attendees, with a grand staircase leading to the University Room, a multipurpose event space that can accommodate more than 600 people. Within the tower is a 285-seat auditorium designed for panels, plenaries, and other speaking engagements. Floors throughout the tower are organized in a “neighborhood” model that pairs meeting rooms with informal spaces that can be configured to meet various event needs. The top floor includes the City View Room, which can accommodate meetings and events for more than 75 people and offers expansive views of campus, the Midway Plaisance, the Chicago skyline, and Lake Michigan.

The Forum’s staff will provide a single point of contact for all aspects of event planning – from reservations to catering to other meeting services – making it simple and efficient for event organizers.In addition, the staff will be able to partner with other meeting venues on campus and in downtown Chicago and with local hotels, to accommodate meeting planners and guests’ needs.

The building is named in honor of trustee and alumnus David M. Rubenstein, JD’73, co-founder and co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, in recognition of his ongoing generosity to UChicago.

To learn more about the David Rubenstein Forum and to request information about booking events, please visit forum.uchicago.edu.