A new conservation center has been announced for the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) at 111 South Michigan Avenue in the Loop. Located within Grant Park, the globally renowned institution is the nation’s second-largest art museum and houses over 300,000 pieces in its collection. The new center will offer guests a look into the conservation process.
Overall map of Art Institute of Chicago via Google Maps
Efforts are being led by the museum itself, with the space designed by the Barcelona-based architecture firm Barozzi Veiga. The firm has collaborated with the museum for several years, including master planning the campus in 2019, developing expansion plans for a new wing in 2024, and redesigning the European design galleries this year.
Rendering of Grainger Center for Conservation & Science by Barozzi Veiga
As part of the museum’s broader redevelopment, the temporary exhibit space Regenstein Hall will be relocated to make way for the Grainger Center for Conservation & Science. Spanning 25,000 square feet, the new center will double the museum’s existing conservation space. It will allow visitors to observe conservation efforts led by local and international specialists who will, for the first time, work under the same roof.
The center will also include additional gallery space dedicated to the conservation process and works in progress, along with labs, offices, and a study center for staff. Regenstein Hall will temporarily move to the former Arts of Africa and Ancient Americas space, with pieces from those collections being incorporated into others, according to WBEZ Chicago.
Rendering of Grainger Center for Conservation & Science by Barozzi Veiga
Eventually, the museum plans to provide a new permanent home for the hall that is more publicly visible from the street. The move will also kick off a larger reorganization of exhibits across the museum as part of the previously mentioned master plan. The $50 million conservation center is being funded through donations and is scheduled for completion in fall 2027.
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Great idea showing patrons how art is cleaned and process of restoring items I am down too seeing this.