Mar 25th 2021

A Discussion with one of the Architects Who Will Revitalize the Art Institute of Chicago

On Wednesday, March 31, the College of Architecture will host acclaimed Spanish architect Alberto Veiga, co-founder of the architecture firm Barozzi Veiga.

The firm, established in 2004, has a body of work spanning cultural, educational, and residential buildings, and civic projects, such as the Auditorium and Congress Palace Infanta Doña Elena in Águilas, Spain; Szczecin Philharmonic in Szczecin, Poland; the Ragenhaus Musikschule in Bruneck, Italy; the Vaud Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the Tanzhaus Zürich. Currently, the office is developing projects in Germany, Belgium, England, and the United States.

In 2019 the firm was selected to design a new masterplan for the Art Institute of Chicago's sprawling 1 million-square-foot campus. The firm is looking to make the space more integrated within its Grant Park and downtown Chicago location and create better circulation for visitors. That will involve reconfiguring existing buildings, adding new ones, and rethinking how the art is displayed altogether, while maintaining historic elements––such as the entrance’s bronze lion sculptures––that make the Art Institute of Chicago an icon of the city.

The lecture begins at 5 p.m. CDT and is accessible via Zoom (passcode: 274584).