Thursday, May 21, 2009

Renzo Piano At It Again

(via DO)
I absolutely love the city of Chicago. My mother and her side of the family all hail from the Southside, so we have spent a great deal of time in the city. Well, over the past years Chicago has made some drastic improvements: see Millennium Park and rooftop gardens. There is always much to offer in regards to culture, and I make it a point to fit a stop into the Art Institute on each visit, to see the latest exhibit. I hold the Art Institute in very high esteem. Friends, it just moved up another notch. Perusing Design Observer, reading today's post about Renzo Piano's new Modern Wing, I squealed with delight! I adore Renzo's beautifully functional buildings. Always stunning. And I have the privilege to live in a city with a Piano design residing in it- The Nasher Scupture Center in Dallas, Texas. 

This new wing is expansive and yet delicate. Julie Lasky quoted Piano in her post and applauded him for succeeding at channelling Chicago: 

Piano noted, the new urban grid aligned with true compass points (“When you look north, north is exactly what you see”); Chicago’s architecture and its occupants related straightforwardly to their sites. Strength, delicacy, lightness, rationality: Piano sought all of these attributes for his new addition and largely succeeded in imposing them. 

All I can say, is Piano has done it again. And how did I not hear about this project beforehand?!? Go to the Design Observer site to see more photos and read some of the background. I absolutely cannot wait to see his work in person. It will be my first stop next time I'm in Chi-town! 

2 comments:

  1. My fair city! I love that I'm from there.

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  2. I saw them building this near Millennium Park, and I thought it was Piano's. Sure enough, I was right!

    I believe Piano also did the Exelon Pavilions in Millennium Park as well...

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