Best of the Modern Wing

The new Architecture and Design galleries It’s hard to convey the essence of a building in drawings and tiny models, which is why architecture exhibitions pose a challenge. They were nightmares in the Art Institute’s old “horseshoe” gallery, a narrow, curved space that was poorly lit and awkward to navigate. In the Modern Wing, however, the Architecture and Design collection’s new 8,000-square-foot home reflects the importance of these disciplines to Chicago. The new gallery highlights the museum’s permanent design collection (one of only a few in the U.S.) and architectural drawings that have rarely been displayed.