Chicagoans, get ready for a massive $75 million renovation to take over the Art Institute and completely change the way the cultural center will look and feel moving forward.
According to the Chicago Tribune, not many details have yet been announced, but here is what we know: the new Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Building (Fleischman and Lougheed donated the funds for the updates) will be home to a collection of late 19th century modern and contemporary art, which folks will get to look through while enjoying beautiful views of the park, lake and city around it.
“The larger goal of this campus plan is to really open up the museum to the unique attributes of the site,” James Rondeau, the Art Institute’s president and director, told the Tribune. “Even the trains are something we want to embrace rather than disguise.”
What will the new Art Institute of Chicago expansion cover?
Already considered one of the best attractions in Chicago and one of the top places to see public art in Chicago, the Art Institute is one of the most celebrated destinations of its kind in locally—but the would-be renovations are sure to push the center to the next level.
As of now, all we know is that there will be an entire new building going up—details regarding timelines and specific locations have not been shared yet, but the space will be somewhere within the museum's current downtown campus.
“We have a hard stop on five sides: Columbus, Monroe, Michigan and Jackson, as well as a height restriction. So we really are a profoundly finite site,” said Art Institute President James Rondeau in a statement to WBEZ Chicago. “There are, I think, some opportunities to repurpose underused spaces and then also relocate certain aspects of the collections to create the potential for this construction.”
And just in case you were wondering: The iconic lions right outside the building are not going anywhere.