School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Fiber and Material Arts Renovation

The Department of Fiber and Material Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago renovated its existing ninth-floor facilities at 37 S. Wabash Ave. as part of a multiyear expansion. The renovation provides continuous open spaces for group learning and to accommodate work with large-scale forms and objects. The existing floor was opened to create a single space with zones for a print classroom, a dye classroom, a dye kitchen and new support rooms. Work spaces were arranged along the south-facing windows for ample natural light and views of downtown Chicago.

The department’s curriculum focuses on fiber construction and manipulation techniques in the context of larger artistic, political, and societal movements. The new space is intended to facilitate experimentation with a wide range of materials, scales, and techniques and to provide a setting for exploration of the ideas and meaning behind the forms.

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