Renzo Piano has gained a reputation as a master of contemporary museum design. Unlike showier counterparts in the architectural world, Piano practices restraint to achieve a modern equivalent of the classical temple to art.
The Art of Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing was a decade in the making. Commissioned in 1999, it was finally opened in May 2009. At a cost of almost $300 million, the 264,000 square foot space is stunning as a solo piece of architecture, and a complement to its context in downtown Chicago.
The Modern Wing connects to the original Beaux Arts museum of the Art Institute. As a nod to the latter building, the Modern Wing uses Indiana limestone for its masonry walls. Where the Beaux Arts building is solid, the new wing is a delicate glass and steel box, as carefully proportioned and detailed as any classical structure.
Building Program
From initial concept to final design, the building program tripled in space. The Modern Wing is the second largest museum in the United States with the third largest collection in the country. The building is aiming for LEED®-NC Silver certification.
Housed within the Modern Wing are galleries for European paintings and sculptures, contemporary art, photography, and architecture and design. There is a first-floor art education center, and on the third floor an outdoor sculpture terrace and restaurant named after the master; it is called Terzo Piano.
The contemporary art galleries feature 18 foot-6 inch high ceilings to accommodate larger canvasses and art works. Designed with an open plan, these galleries can be fitted with temporary walls to permit flexible spatial layouts.
Connectivity in and beyond the Modern Wing
Griffin Court is a distinctive volume on the building’s interior. Resembling a traditional classical arcade, it is a connector through the entire length of the structure. Visitors are drawn along its spine into the heart of the building. Skylit and double-height, Griffin Court sets the tone for a building that has been described as being like a giant chandelier.
Externally, Piano has visually linked the building via a footbridge to Millennium Park, Chicago’s award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. Nichols Bridgeway is a generously-scaled pedestrian walkway and part of an open circulation system between cultural sites on either side of Monroe St.
Lighting for Art
Piano has refined natural lighting systems for museums over more than three decades of practice. The Modern Wing is distinctive for its “flying carpet” canopy. Atop this roof are aluminum blades artfully configured to eliminate harsh southern light and bring in softer northern light.
On the interior, scrims or white fabric panels are used to diffuse natural light further, ensuring that delicate art works are not damaged by exposure to direct light. A careful balance between artificial and natural light means that modern works of sculpture can be enjoyed in natural light, with diffuse views to the exterior opening up behind the scrims.
The art world is enthused about Piano’s latest museum offering and residents of Chicago appreciate a building that enhances the city’s reputation for great art and design. The Modern Wing may be hailed in time as an icon of museum design.
Andree Iffrig - Andrée Iffrig LEED AP is a writer and award-winning graduate architect. She uses her broad background in environmental design and ...
