The Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago
Last year the Art Institute of Chicago opened it's new Modern Wing.
This new addition is designed to house the best pieces from its Modern Art collection.
There are many words that I can use to describe this new wing but I will start with this one - magnificent! This is the first time that the Art Institute is actually taking advantage of natural light and they have done a World Class job of it.
For all the years past in going to the museum you had only low dark spaces to greet you, unlike the Field Museum, or Shedd Aquarium just near by in Grant Park.
There are two ways that the public can enter the Modern Wing, either the north face on Monroe Street or from the galleries on the interior of the museum.
I would suggest for your first visit to enter the Modern Wing from Monroe Street, when you pass through the doors you will be taken by the height of the ceiling and the depth of the rotunda.
The light flows in naturally and makes your visit up-beat and refreshing.
Of special note is the staircase on the east side of the rotunda adjacent the elevator.
Renzo Piano got his inspiration for this staircase from the famous set of stairs at the Arts Club of Chicago designed by Mies Van Der Roe, a member of that famous club.
In 1951 Rue Shaw, President of the Arts Club commissioned Mies to design the club's new spaces since it had lost it's space in the Wrigley Building, Mies did so at no charge to the club! Since that time the club has to move again and it took the staircase and moved it to the clubs new building.
There are three floors to the Modern Wing.
The first floor is for classrooms, lectures, and research.
The second floor is for modern American Art and sculpture.
The third floor is the finest because it houses the most important Modern pieces of the museum and also because of the exceptional lighting scheme designed by Mr.
Piano.
The roof acts as a source of light that gently filters through a fine mesh of structural materials through to the gallery.
All three floors have a spectacular view of Millennium Park to the north where a causeway was designed to run from the third floor of the Modern Wing across Monroe Street right into Millennium Park.
All in all this new addition to the Art Institute of Chicago further enhances the World Class caliber of this great institution.
Stephen F.
Condren - Artist
This new addition is designed to house the best pieces from its Modern Art collection.
There are many words that I can use to describe this new wing but I will start with this one - magnificent! This is the first time that the Art Institute is actually taking advantage of natural light and they have done a World Class job of it.
For all the years past in going to the museum you had only low dark spaces to greet you, unlike the Field Museum, or Shedd Aquarium just near by in Grant Park.
There are two ways that the public can enter the Modern Wing, either the north face on Monroe Street or from the galleries on the interior of the museum.
I would suggest for your first visit to enter the Modern Wing from Monroe Street, when you pass through the doors you will be taken by the height of the ceiling and the depth of the rotunda.
The light flows in naturally and makes your visit up-beat and refreshing.
Of special note is the staircase on the east side of the rotunda adjacent the elevator.
Renzo Piano got his inspiration for this staircase from the famous set of stairs at the Arts Club of Chicago designed by Mies Van Der Roe, a member of that famous club.
In 1951 Rue Shaw, President of the Arts Club commissioned Mies to design the club's new spaces since it had lost it's space in the Wrigley Building, Mies did so at no charge to the club! Since that time the club has to move again and it took the staircase and moved it to the clubs new building.
There are three floors to the Modern Wing.
The first floor is for classrooms, lectures, and research.
The second floor is for modern American Art and sculpture.
The third floor is the finest because it houses the most important Modern pieces of the museum and also because of the exceptional lighting scheme designed by Mr.
Piano.
The roof acts as a source of light that gently filters through a fine mesh of structural materials through to the gallery.
All three floors have a spectacular view of Millennium Park to the north where a causeway was designed to run from the third floor of the Modern Wing across Monroe Street right into Millennium Park.
All in all this new addition to the Art Institute of Chicago further enhances the World Class caliber of this great institution.
Stephen F.
Condren - Artist
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