Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
The Gardens of the Art Institute of Chicago by Heather Prince
On a beautiful summer morning, birds sing and butterflies flutter through the garden spaces that embrace the Art Institute of Chicago. One of the grande dames of Chicago’s public institutions and one of the most visited museums in the world, this Beau Arts building has anchored Michigan Avenue since 1893. As with any built environment of this longevity, it evolves and changes through the decades. We are fortunate that this jewel of a museum is set within three beautiful landscape spaces designed at different points in the building’s development. Talking to Patrick Thomas, Grounds Manager, we discussed each of these roof gardens that are open to the public and receive heavy foot traffic, creating some special challenges and opportunities. The North Garden
The North Stanley McCormick Memorial Garden resides on Michigan Avenue, and with its honey locust trees embracing the Ferguson Wing, is a place of green respite. Installed in 1959, it was a gift by Mrs. Stanley McCormick in memory of
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her husband, who was the youngest son of Cyrus McCormick, of mechanical reaper fame. The initial garden was designed by Holabird, Root, and Burgee. After several decades, landscape architect Laurie Olin was commissioned to re-design the space, and the new garden opened in 1990. The Olin design created a space to showcase four stunning pieces of sculpture: Flying Dragon by Alexander Calder, Large Interior Form by Henry Moore, Cubi VII by David Smith, and Untitled by Ulrich Rückriem. You step down into the North Garden and through trimmed yew hedges to a private green experience. Sculpted mature honey locust softens the terrace against wall of the Ferguson Wing and cools the eastern edge of the garden. Colorful planters line the balustrade filled with seasonal shade-loving plantings. Crabapples add fragrant spring flowers to the southern end of this rectangular space and tuck underneath the classical loggia of the Robert Allerton building. “In the North Garden, you step in, and you’re really separated from the street scape by the hedge of clipped yews,” commented Thomas. “It makes it very quiet and green.”
The Landscape Contractor November 2021
