The renovation of the Architecture and Design Gallery is inspired by an electrical floor box or a clue left by the building’s original architect, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, that serves as a sly reflection of the Modern Wing’s structural grid. It is from this mundane origin that a system of modular columns is designed to screw into the floor and anchor a range of floating partition walls of different lengths. In its current state, the new gallery is experienced as a series of adjoining rooms that pinwheel about a central corridor-like space, never touching an extant wall. The renovation transcends one way of organizing flow or displaying works and instead functions as a modular display system that allows for countless permutations. As the collection of architectural and design works changes, so too might the columns, through their removal or addition. While a single column bears only the reference to the original electrical floor box, a collection of columns absorbed by partition walls signals that curation is an ever-changing practice with the opportunity to transform space to align with an audience’s needs.
Client
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
207 E Monroe St, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Years
2023-2024
Area
5,000 ft² / 465 m²
Project Team
Thomas Kelley, Spencer McNeil, Liam Hoy
Consultant Team
Structure: Goodfriend Magruder
Construction Team
-ism furniture, Navillus
Photography
Kendall McCaugherty (Hall Merrick McCaugherty)