Franke Reading Room

The Franke Reading Room, the original Ryerson Library, was designed in 1900 by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, the architects of the 1893 building on Michigan Avenue.  It was restored to its original design and finishes in 1994 by Vinci|Hamp Architects and today serves as the main workspace for readers.

Works of art from the Art Institute’s permanent collection hang in the American Renaissance space and temporary exhibitions highlight aspects of the Libraries’ collections. For a more virtual experience of the Reading Room, explore the Google Art Project.

The names of sixteen significant writers on the history of art and architecture circle the Reading Room in the entablature area below the skylight.