Art Institute of Chicago blends historic architecture with modern collections

The Art Institute of Chicago, located on Michigan Avenue, represents a blend of historical Beaux-Arts architecture and modern design. The original building, designed by the Boston firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, was constructed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and features a limestone facade and classical symmetry.

In 2009, the institution expanded with the Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano, providing dedicated gallery space for 20th and 21st-century art. The museum's collection has grown significantly since its origins as the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1879, now encompassing nearly 300,000 works ranging from Chinese bronzes and Japanese woodblock prints to European paintings, African art, and contemporary installations.