RAMSA’s Chicago Museum of Science & Industry renovation plans move forward

On September 10, Chicago’s Landmark Commission approved renovation plans by Robert A. M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) for the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. 

Formerly the Palace of Fine Arts, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry was designed by Charles Atwood of Daniel Burnham & Company and completed in 1893 for the World’s Fair. 

The renovation by RAMSA entails modifications to the historic building’s north and south entrances, among other changes.

Renderings show new curtain walls installed behind the south portico’s columns, alterations to the north lawn, and a new Welcome Hall attached to the north facade. 

Presently the museum’s main entry is below ground. The Welcome Hall will serve as the new, above ground main entry. The addition is meant to minimize impact on original building materials and historic spaces.

Relocating the main entry above ground will also allow for the transformation of the existing main entry area into an exhibition space. 

The new main entry consists of a sweeping form that rises up from the earth, like a hill, with a green roof. Visitors will enter through a glass curtain wall into an expansive vaulted interior underneath the hill. An oculus will wash the vaulted space with natural light. 

From the vaulted area, visitors will then move into an all-glass volume connected to the historic facade. 

An opening in the museum’s steps will make way for the new entry, not unlike the renovation to the Brooklyn Museum’s steps by Polshek Partnership (now Ennead Architects). Visitors will then ascend escalators to the galleries.

New Science Gardens will be in proximity to the Welcome Hall. Additionally, there will be new public restrooms, a new ADA-accessible public elevator, new community event spaces, and a new outdoor terrace and cafe overlooking Jackson Park.

Work on the south entry is slated for completion in 2027. A timeline for the northern components has not been shared.