Humanism and the Classical: The Expansion of the Art Institute of Chicago

Classicism is a language of architecture that comprehends human intuition of the built environment. It also reflects the cumulative history of place and culture. Classicism expresses itself by means of the orders, proportion, and ornament. Classical architecture tells a history of itself, tying together the past with the present and speaking of the future.The intention of this thesis is to demonstrate the relevance of Classical architecture to a modern institutional program in an urban setting. Additionally, this thesis defines humanism and what is to be a humanist. Humanism is the intellectual framework within which a Classical design can achieve validity and meaning within a contemporary context. According to David Mayernik, 'To be humanist is to acknowledge our capacity for the good and the beautiful, and to intervene positively in the world, while at the same time recognizing our need for self-imposed limits.' This project synthesizes the interrelationship of Humanism and the Classical.