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The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago / USA

The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1893, is one of the largest art museums in the U.S. In 1999, it launched a major expansion to add the Modern Wing, aiming to increase exhibition space by 30% and double educational areas. The project, entrusted to Renzo Piano Building Workshop, was designed to enhance the museum's capacity to showcase contemporary art while providing more room for learning and engagement, solidifying its role as a leading cultural institution.

The Art Institute and Millenium Park
© The Art Institute of Chicago, ph. James Iska Photography
A group of people are standing on a bridge in front of a building
© Nic Lehoux
The modern Wing by RPBW: Enhancing the Museum's Legacy and Urban Presence
 

An Architecture of movement and connections between art and city

 

The 25,000 square-meter expansion houses collections of European contemporary art. More than just a gallery space, it unifies and completes the museum's cultural and urban campus. Located in Grant Park along the lakefront, the museum sits between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive, with its site divided by railroad tracks. The original Beaux-Arts building, constructed in 1893, faces the western side of the city, serving as the museum’s historic centerpiece.

The Modern Wing, designed by RPBW, is rotated 90° to the north, creating a new entry point from Millennium Park, a hub for Chicago’s cultural events. Its lightweight, transparent vertical facade of glass and metal reflects the city’s modern skyline, while the solid limestone walls that punctuate the glass echo the architectural style of the original Art Institute building. This thoughtful design integrates the museum with its surroundings, enhancing both the cultural and physical landscape of Chicago.

A museum filled with lots of sculptures and paintings
© Nic Lehoux
A group of people are walking in a park in front of a large building
© RPBW, ph. Shunji Ishida
A blueprint of a building with a lot of windows and trees on a blue background
© RPBW
A large building with a glass ceiling and stairs
© Nic Lehoux
 

Crafting a thoughtful Visitor Journey in the Modern Wing

 
 

The Modern Wing is designed to enhance the visitor experience, with a layout centered around Griffin Court and the new entrance from Monroe Street. The large, double-height foyer is flooded with natural light and serves as a welcoming space, featuring the learning center, ticket counters, gift shop, cloakroom, restrooms, temporary exhibition areas, and a garden. Griffin Court serves as a focal point, orienting visitors and creating a distinct separation between the exhibition spaces on either side of the railroad tracks.

From Griffin Court, visitors can easily access the two upper floors of the Modern Wing, where the permanent art collections are displayed in naturally lit galleries. The design encourages exploration, with the option to cross through a gallery that leads over the tracks to the museum’s original Beaux-Arts building. The entire second and third floors of the Modern Wing are dedicated to the art collection, offering visitors a seamless and immersive experience in a light-filled environment that enhances the viewing of contemporary European art.

 
The inside of a building with a large glass roof
© Nic Lehoux
A statue is standing in front of a large window with a view of the city skyline
© Nic Lehoux
A large building with a lot of windows and people standing outside of it
© Nic Lehoux
A blueprint of a building with a lot of drawings on it
© RPBW
A group of people are walking across a bridge in front of a building
© Nic Lehoux

A roof floating above the building in the city skyline

 

The Millennium Park and the museum are seamlessly connected both physically and visually. The Nichols Bridgeway, an elegant footbridge, spans over the park, crossing Monroe Street and leading to the museum’s upper floor, where it passes through the restaurant. Inside, ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the park and city skyline, providing a stunning backdrop for the sculpture collection. The roof, often called a "flying carpet," appears to float above the building, with curved aluminum panels filtering daylight into the spaces below. Sunshades, aligned to the ideal north-south orientation, further reduce glare from the adjacent lake. Below street level, new spaces house the building’s machinery, art storage, and technical equipment.

 
Four different angles of a white object on a black background
© RPBW
A group of construction workers are working on the roof of a building
© RPBW
A group of people are walking down stairs in a building
© Nic Lehoux
A large building is lit up at night with a fountain in front of it
© Nic Lehoux

Project Details

Status

2000 - 2009

Client

The Art Institute of Chicago

Design

Renzo Piano Building Workshopin collaboration with Interactive Design Inc. (Chicago), architects

Design Team

J. Moolhuijzen (partner in charge), D.Rat, C.Maxwell-Mahon with A.Belvedere, D.Colas, P.Colonna, O.Foucher, A.Gallissian, S.Giorgio-Marrano, H.Lee, W.Matthews, T.Mikdashi, J.B.Mothes, Y.Pagès, B.Payson, M.Reale, J.Rousseau, A.Stern, A.Vachette, C.von Däniken and K.Doerr, M.Gomes, J.Nakagawa; Y.Kyrkos, C.Colson, O.Aubert (models)

Consultants

Ove Arup & Partners (structure); Ove Arup & Partners + Sebesta Blomberg (services); Patrick Engineering (civil engineering); Wiss, Janey, Elstner Associates Inc.(structure for bridge interface with Millenium Park); The Talaske Group (A/V consultant); Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd. (landscaping); Morgan Construction Consultants (cost consultant); Carter Burgess (LEED consultant)

Environmental Certifications

LEED Silver (2010)

Awards

Midwest Construction Best of 2009 Awards, Outstanding Architectural Function and Aesthetic (2009)
Midwest Construction Best of 2009 Awards, Project of the Year: Cultural (2009)
Friends of Downtown Best New Cultural Space Award (2010)
Merit Award for New Construction, Chicago Building Congress (2010)