Third City Café & Creative Space is a dual use space in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The neighborhood is a predominantly black area (84.2% of the population is African American), and the average annual income is 34% lower than that of the city of Chicago. The intent of the two spaces, which sit at the corner of Luna Ave. and North Ave., was to create spaces that accentuate gathering and self-expression within the community. Both spaces were designed to let the program speak for itself, with the architecture serving as the backdrop to the space’s purposes.

The café, located at the corner, is designed in a way to allow members of the neighborhood to gather for various events such as poetry readings, open mics, or just general socializing.