Magic Carpet Ride: The Modern Wing

This past Saturday, May 16, the long-awaited, super-hyped new Renzo Piano Modern Wing opened at the Chicago Art Institute. It goes without saying that my love for Chicago’s architecture is what lured me to set up shop in Chicago with my three founding partners back in 1988 following graduation from Cornell. All these years later, it is endlessly inspirational to see our skyline continue to evolve as some of the world’s best architects contribute to its splendor.

The reviews of the new wing have been largely complimentary and highlights such as the “Flying Carpet” rooftop. The Nichols Bridgeway that floats over Monroe Street, connecting the museum with Millennium Park, has won a great deal of awe and excitement from locals. See The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune’s reviews here.

But, no matter what the critics say, I think that this addition to one of the city’s most iconic buildings speaks loudly to a number of the topics that I have previously plugged in this blog. First and foremost, renovation and evolution in architecture is key to survival in any hospitality-driven business. While the Art Institute has always been thought of as one of the city’s greatest gems (in a town full of gems, I might add), the buzz and renewed interest that it has experienced in recent months will undoubtedly propel the museum into a new era of fandom. Surely, this addition to the city’s great sights will boost tourism and win new lovers of art in the process. This presents a win/win that easily justifies the US$294 million price tag that the project cost.

Please note that I used the word evolution. There is a place for the world’s architectural treasures that can benefit from the marriage of old and new – giving a nod to the modern world that we live in while respecting the past. Some of the renovations that I have participated in of late have had a strong sense of preserving the past and, in some cases, have even gone to the length of working in tandem with the historical register to protect the historic while creating something special and new that this generation put to even greater use.

Furthermore, the readers of this blog know how passionate I am about green architecture, and the new Modern Wing did not let me down as it earned a Silver LEED™ certification. Some of the highlights of the project include maximizing natural light through the flying carpet rooftop that also cuts electricity needs. Also, a “thermal buffer” created by double layers of window glass keeps the winds for which the Windy City is famous at bay in the winter and minds the heating bill. I’ve blogged a couple of times about how we will know when “green” has really “made it” in the mainstream and certainly, green building on high visibility projects such as this one is a step in the right direction.

But, most of all, the new Modern Wing and the public fervor that has surrounded the project reminds us all how exciting architecture and design can be to the general public at large and how great design really always is good business – contributing to the long term bottom line and ultimate profitability.