Architecture and Design
Focusing on progressive thinking and practice across all design disciplines, the Art Institute’s Department of Architecture and Design comprises more than 250,000 objects dating from the 1870s to the present day. It represents the many diverse voices that have shaped and continue to shape the fields of architecture and design, from Daniel H. Burnham, Marion Mahony Griffin, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to Armin Hofmann, Louis Kahn, and Lauretta Vinciarelli and on to contemporary pioneers such as Stan Allen, Irma Boom, Studio Gang, and Yuri Suzuki. Immersed in Chicago’s unique architectural history and legacy while embracing a sweeping global perspective, the collection continually evolves to highlight the critical role architecture and design play in identifying urgent social issues and generating new thinking and problem solving.