Culture Zohn: Pianissimo from Renzo Piano: The New Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago's New Modern Wing

Architects all over the world are extremely jealous of Renzo Piano . If he weren't such a nice guy, there would probably be an AIA contract out on him. As it is, Piano keeps getting the great museum jobs and cities keep getting very nice places to look at art.

But Chicago has them beat. Even though I absolutely love the undulating green roofs of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco which remind me of the developing breasts on a young girl and the elegant minimalism of the Menil Collection in Houston, the Modern Wing addition to the Art Institute of Chicago is one of those spaces that makes you catch your breath.

View of Chicago Skyline from the new Modern Wing

Yet Piano, softspoken and charming, known originally for his collaboration with Richard Rogers on the Centre Pompidou design,, has gone on to become this generation's architectural Starbucks.

Not that Starbucks. Not the one you think of as ubiquitous, expensive and annoying.

No, I mean the original one where we felt like a little bit of Europe had descended on our corner, where we learned communing with people over something as simple as coffee was pretty terrific.

The quality of Piano's work is occasionally affected by regime changes, shrinking budgets and city restrictions, and maybe also a little bit because he has been so busy. But Chicago has come out in its stealth, second-city style and unveiled a total winner.

Griffin Court

All you have to do is walk into the white light filled central Griffin Court and understand everything about Piano: the space is all about light, a long turbine-style hall that reminds just a tad of the much darker Tate Modern but which instead pours out on a large clerestory glass view of ... Frank Gehry's titanium bandshell. What other architect would give pride of place to another man's work?! Yet the space is an architectural folly of its own, an echo of the very times when we could afford to have a show-off building that did nothing really functional but be beautiful.

All the galleries are behind doors or in reveals, so the space is just that -- a wingless, grounded airplane that soars by its own merits.

The most extraordinary galleries are the ones that give onto the Millennium Park and the art in those galleries, carefully chosen to be able to withstand the stunning view (only slightly obscured by shades) indeed holds up: Richter, Stella, Agnes Martin, Ryman.

Instead of making huge galleries that confound the viewer so that you don't know where to turn first, the decision was taken to make small, intimate galleries that make you see the art in context, next to other artists that may have informed the work, or been influenced by it. And instead of telling you how to look, it's hung so that you make that discovery yourself.

Of course the curators had a big hand in this and I take nothing away from their excellent work. But Piano has been listening to them.

This museum has a great deal in common with the San Francisco Academy of Sciences roofline, but because of the all white, and the light and the elegant refined construction material, you feel like you're in a white circus tent, with thin metal guy wires ready to take you up to the top so you can spin around a little. Or, if you prefer a more grounded image, a bit like a Calder -- all wire and spit and polish and smiles. The simplicity and restraint is just so refreshing!

The "flying carpet" roof

My favorite spaces besides the Griffin court: the Pritzker garden, an elegant flying-carpeted covered space with natural plant material and lime green chairs and the undulating walking bridge that deposits you on the second floor. (Check the website in coming weeks for images of these spaces not available at post time).

People who have the luxury of living in Chicago can return to take in their favorites but I had to look had the art at the same time as the building. Had is a poor word choice. The permanent collection of the Art Institute is so strong, and looks so beautiful against these white walls that you are very jealous that you don't live in this city and can commune with these works (and the Gehry bandshell and the marvelous Louise Nevelson-encrusted Harris Concert Hall) more often.

Some favorites:

An early, colorful Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock

A lush Paul Delvaux
Paul Delvaux

A pensive Matisse
Henri Matisse

A Picabia that could have been painted today
Francis Picabia

And a Richter in an end gallery that makes you think this lady descending the staircase could be just outside the door
Gerhard Richter

The Modern addition says "Look at me, don't take your eyes off me!", yet lets you look away. This is an architectural hat trick by one of the few starchitects who is not arrogant, who is willing to share the glory with the important stuff hanging on the walls.

All images courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Comments

[gouge]

or how about the lighting? Natural daylight is great.....to go outdoors and walk around in -however since the invention of the light bulb, there hasnt been a whole lot of 'plein air painting' happening - time to flick on the switch and knock off the 19th century romanticis­m.......ev­erything is dulled out -want to see the Cornell Boxes? -bring a flashlight- or maybe in keeping with the nostalgic ambience, a candle-

[Promise]

I grew up in Chicago and spent many many happy hours at the Art Institute. I'm trying to visualize exactly where this new wing is located. Can anyone help me out? Is it in the back, where Goodman Theater used to be? It doesn't seem to be facing Michigan Avenue. Where is the water?

[scruffy51]

Yes you are correct. It is where the Goodman Theatre used to be. That isn't water. It a bridge going over the street connecting the building to Millenium Park. Must have been raing the day they took the picture. Hope this hepls.

[ChiGuy]

I've been hearing about it for months and can't wait to set aside a day to go.
And I'm going to print your review and take it with me so that while I can take it in in my own way, I can also experience it as you did.
Thank you, Ms. Zohn.

[gouge]

Did the Art Institute pay you to schill for them? Griffen Court...you must mean the what 60 -70 80 thousand square ft hedge-funded party room? Designed for private parties, wedding bar mitvahs and any other event the Art Institute can make piles of money off of? The same Griffin Court with one -thats one piece of art hanging in the whole space? BTW =265,000 sq ft -a mere 64 of that dedicated to exhibition space-

Or those cramped, 19th century galleries..where trendy labels like Gerhard Richter are given more space than the entire mid century American painting scene......where Robert Gober has bags of kitty litter stacked against the wall of one of the TWO! rooms given over to this mediocrity? I could go on but this is not the place -your piece of puffery does a major disservice to any serious art goer in Chicago - the new bling wing is just that -lots of bling, little substance- it is a major disappointment.

[factotem]

I'm glad you said it. That Court is a complete dissappoin­tment/dud.

[WilliePilgrim]

Love the architecture but you hit the nail on the head when you implied it was a luxury to live in Chicago. Yikes! How do the commoners pay for it?
As for Piano's architecture, it's lines and spaces are indeed breathtaking. I hope that as it matures more elements of natural beauty will soften it a bit for those who recognize our human instinctual biophilia. A bit of Wrigley Field's ivy cascading from its roofline would look particularly beautiful for those of us who find the absence of natural features one of the intangibles whose absence is conspicuous and the lack of which serves to bring out the jaw clamping insanity that is modern urban living.

[factotem]

"Even though I absolutely love the undulating green roofs of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco which remind me of the developing br*asts on a young girl."

Are you out of your mind?

[ChiGuy]

As a father to both a son and a daughter, one of the most moving emotions I repeatedly experienced over the years was marveling as they grew into their budding manhood and womanhood. An absolute miracle of human development which we don't notice as we're growing up ourselves, but are able to observe from a short distance as our own children pass through the process.

They were some of the most precious moments of my life which had absolutely nothing to do with the seedy innuendo some overly politically correct people want to attach to it.

Your willingness to reduce such beauty and wonder to a grimy sexual component says much more about your puritanical attitude than it does about the amazing and gloriously beautiful truth of raising children.

[mpmc23]

I can't agree more ChiGuy. The architectural beauty of the new wing reminded me of my daughter's first period... sad that others can see such things for the natural beauties that they are.