Terra Museum of American Art

The Terra Museum, designed to house Daniel Terra's collection of American art, is planned as a 3-phase project, corresponding to the three adjacent buildings being renovated for this purpose. The southernmost among them is the Farwell Building, an 11-story Bedford limestone structure designed in an attenuated Beaux Arts style. The building retains its ground-floor retail space, but Terra's collection occupies the four floors above; the remaining floors are used for museum offices and storage. The central and principal structure was formerly the Helene Curtis cosmetics salon; this 5-story building now faced in gray-veined white Vermont marble. It houses the museums's main entrance hall, a bookshop, and a central atrium. These two buildings connect by means of interior curved ramps, required for handicap access, but also creating a decorative pattern as seen from Michigan Avenue through 45-foot-high glass walls. The northernmost of the three buildings is a 4-story medical arts building, earmarked for a planned expansion of museum facilities. Culture, commerce and tourism create a powerful synergy on this prestigious boulevard. No wonder Michigan Avenue was the choice for Chicago's newest museum.

Check your map for the next stop on the tour

or

Return to the homepage