Tour of Art Institute Modern Wing, Wrap Up

Back down to the first floor–

One of the most stunning aspects of the new wing–The Pritzker Garden. The floating roof extends to create a three-story-high canopy. The only piece of art in the garden is Ellsworth Kelly’s White Curve, his largest piece to date. (It’s 54 feet long.)

I’ll probably never see this courtyard so empty again. We practically had the place to ourselves and it was a nice retreat despite the scale of it.

The chairs were set out just before we arrived. We wondered if there will be tables too. The steel pillars that hold up the roof taper at the ground.

The door that connects the new wing with the original building is at this end of the passageway. Above is the coffee bar balcony. On the left side of the pillar are the galleries for film and photography.

The floors are gorgeous.

My name is conspicuously absent from the donor list.

Another look south, toward the entrance to the original Art Institute building, with the coffee bar above.

The one disappointment, The Nichols Bridgeway wasn’t open on the day we toured the museum.

The 620-foot-long bridge connects the third floor of the Modern Wing to Millennium Park.

The bridge crosses over Monroe Street and disappears in Millennium Park.