The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent home located on Michigan Avenue was founded in 1893, built jointly with the city of Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. A total of eight major expansions were added over the years with the largest addition of 264,000 square feet, designed by Renzo Piano, constructed in 2009. The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), with its nearly 300,000 works of art, is internationally recognized as the one of the leading fine-arts institutions in the country.

The Art Institute of Chicago engaged Marx|Okubo to conduct a facilities condition assessment in order to strategically plan for major repairs, upgrades, and necessary replacements of the building systems and components in a logical and efficient manner over the next 10 years. The goal of developing a capital expenditure budget was to enable The AIC to address major future capital outlays to ensure that the museum’s energy and resources can be primarily dedicated to its core mission. Working closely with the Facilities Group, priorities were developed to identify immediate, mid-term, and long-term facility needs to ensure critical system repairs and replacements will be anticipated and addressed in the years to come. Understanding that both historic landmark buildings and modern additions make up the museum campus, Marx|Okubo was able to assemble a team of specialists knowledgeable in each project type to review and assess critical details and provide recommendations appropriate for the repairs and replacements each system required.