Four black cubes that look like nothing—until you realize they’re quietly doing energy, infrastructure, and city logistics in plain sight.
Four buildings that generate electricity from solar energy and provide access to underground parking in Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Featured in Renzo Piano's definitive monograph, Renzo Piano: Complete Works 1966–Today.
Visitor Guide
Use them functionally: duck into the Welcome Center for maps/restrooms, then come back out and read the photovoltaic skin like an urban-scale device, not a façade.
At Millennium Park, shoot the pavilions in late afternoon when the PV grid throws faint reflections and the cubes feel razor-sharp against the brighter park.
Park entry is free. The Welcome Center is free and typically open daily (hours vary seasonally). The pavilions themselves are more ‘public utility’ than destination—walk in, take what you need, move on.
They’re a rare case where the sustainable-tech story is not a plaque—it’s literally the building’s envelope and performance role.
15–30 minutes
Design & Structure
A disciplined modular system: cube volumes with a photovoltaic grid as the primary architectural order. The design intelligence is in optimizing panel layout, maintenance, and public flow while keeping the architecture almost willfully mute.
Photovoltaic modules and dark glazing matter because they turn ‘skin’ into equipment—architecture as an operating system for a park.
Nothing flashy—just well-resolved, repeatable construction that integrates energy generation and heavy public-use durability (doors, stairs, services) without looking like a substation.
More by Renzo Piano
View all →
California Academy of Sciences
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Musical Instruments Museum
Harvard Art Museums
High Museum of Art
Morgan Library & Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Nearby in Chicago
181 West Madison Street
McCormick Tribune Campus Center
Chicago Spire
Art Institute of Chicago Building
O'Hare International Airport
University Apartments (Chicago)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Exelon Pavilions?+
Exelon Pavilions was designed by Renzo Piano and completed in 2004. It is located in Chicago, United States.
Where is Exelon Pavilions located?+
Exelon Pavilions is located in Chicago, United States. Its coordinates are 41.8841°, -87.6224°.
When was Exelon Pavilions built?+
Exelon Pavilions was completed in 2004. It was designed by Renzo Piano.
Can I visit Exelon Pavilions?+
Exelon Pavilions is a real building in Chicago that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.