A New Wing Takes Flight
We finally reached a point in our move where all the kinks had been worked out, the
unpacking was finished, and we had a moment to catch our breath. We had our first day free to do whatever we wanted, and decided to go downtown and visit the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute.
We took in a view of the exterior from the Nichols Bridgeway, which spans Monroe Street
below, and provides access to the roof garden. The bridge wobbles, so be prepared. It's a little disconcerting when you're walking across it and you feel little quivers beneath your feet, but if the span was too rigid it would be more likely to collapse, so the wobbling is a good thing. And, the views from the roof garden of the skyline, as well as the architecture, are worth the trek.
Monroe Street Corridor, 2001; View of Corridor as built, June 24, 2009 /Images & Artwork: designslinger]
Renzo Piano is the architect who designed this addition to the older museum building, and
the sketch is from an exhibit in the Architecture and Design Gallery, located in the new wing. The drawing is a conceptual design of the entry corridor that Piano drew in 2001, and the photo shows the corridor as built.
The corridor is known as Griffin Court, which contains one of the most elegantly designed
works of architecture I've ever seen; the stairway pictured above. A staircase you say?! Is he crazy? Well, I think it's beautiful. And, watching people move through the space on those floating stairs was mesmerizing. It reminds me of a staircase Mies van der Rohe designed for the original location of the Arts Club of Chicago, but Piano's design is much more dramatic because of the overall scale of the entire corridor passage.
As you cross Griffin Court, you can enter the Pritzker Garden. Another discovery that
bowled me over. The space soars to the sky. The verticality of the detailing, the reflective materials, the open canopy, all work in perfect harmony to create a dynamic outdoor environment.
Images & Artwork: designslinger]
EllsworthKelly's White Curve, 2009, commissioned by the Art Institute for thegarden
wall, is the perfect piece of art for this lovely, outdoor room.
Of course the purpose this new addition is to house the museum's collection of modern art.
A series of galleries line the exterior wall of the building which looks out over Millennium Park. The view is overwhelming. The sculptural pieces chosen to sit in front of the tall window openings work well with the background, but I found that the artworks hanging on the walls were overshadowed by the dramatic scenery.
On the other hand, Henry Moore's signature sculpture is presented perfectly in this small
niche. I saw a lot of paintings that I remembered from my earliest days as an Art Institute visitor in elementary school. I came back to the museum thousands of times in the intervening years, and found that I liked seeing so many familiar friends displayed in this new environment.
As you can tell, there is a lot I like about the building. At first I was afraid that the
architecture was going to overwhelm the art, which isn't a good thing for an art museum. But, once we got up and into the galleries my fears were unfounded. We did visit on a spectacularly sunny day, it will be interesting to experience the museum on a cloudy, overcast day. And, I'm really looking forward to the interaction between the winter snow and the architecture.
One of the majors issues I have with the building is circulation. The Nichols Bridge takes
you to the roof and leaves you stranded, galleries dead end, which requires you to retrace your steps in an attempt to get to another part of the museum. It is completely counter intuitive.
Although the new wing provides an unlimited source of wonderful photo-ops, and I hope
you've enjoyed these pictures, the museum should be on your must visit list, especially if you live in the Chicago area. It is a remarkable work of art, which houses a major art collection, that is best appreciated in person.
Posted by designslinger at 6/29/2009 2:38 AM 
Categories: Architecture,Architects,Art
Tags: Art Institute of Chicago Renzo Piano The Modern Wing of the Art Institute
Categories: Architecture,Architects,Art
Tags: Art Institute of Chicago Renzo Piano The Modern Wing of the Art Institute
Stumbled. Great report on a wonderful place. I will see to visit it if I ever have the chance.
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Nice pics and coverage. I really like the longer format than your usual posts. Thanks.
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