Tell Me . . .
Architect Dina Griffin
2009-08-07
By Adrienne Samuels Gibbs

Dina Griffin likes to look up. At the brass detailing around elevators and the way a sunset bounces off the surfaces of downtown skyscrapers . Griffin designs buildings. She oversees interior design. She’s also president of the company that is the “architect of record” for the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Her company’s name, Interactive Design | Eight Architects, adorns the building’s cornerstone. The icing on the cake? 
Paris-based “starchitect” Renzo Piano, whose company was charged with designing the $300-million exhibit space, personally selected Griffin’s firm to handle the highly detailed minutiae of designing and overseeing the construction of a building that is a beautifully understated, sunlight-filtered, steel, limestone and aluminum work of art.

How can you recognize an architect? 
You can always tell architects because they’re the ones looking up. I pay attention to the types of materials used, the detailing, the combination of materials and why someone chose to use that type of material.  I look at detailing because we don’t often do that anymore, like what you see at the top of the Tribune Tower or the Wrigley Building. I do like the Trump Tower in Chicago. It has a lot of glass and steel but there are variations that animate the building. It’s amazing to see how [it] changes in the sunlight.

Architect of Record?
[It means] the design architect is out of the state or out of the country. [The designing firm then must select]  a local architect to see it through the city codes, [and the local firm must] be licensed.

How big of a deal is Renzo Piano? 
In Europe, they treat him like a rock star. Working with Renzo is like an artist working with Claude Monet or Pablo Picasso. He’s a living legend. He’s also wonderful to work with. He’s a real person. Affable. Personable. Italian.

Tell us about the cornerstone: 
I’m speechless. The design architect is usually there, but the cornerstone says “The Art Institute of Chicago, the Modern Wing, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Interactive Design, Architects.” I still can’t believe to this day that our name is on that building. That’s a testament that it was a true collaboration. 

What else are you into? 
I’m into flying, volcanoes, earthquakes and how you can mend a broken limb by just sewing it up.

Speaking from experience? 
With regard to flying into a volcano, no, but taking flying lessons and standing at the base of an active volcano, yes. I have a love of flying, and I'm fascinated with the technology and science behind aviation. I have taken only two hours of flying lessons, but the instructor did allow me to land on my first time out!

The interest in volcanoes has to do with my interest in geology. Have you ever looked at a large rock formation, whether it was mountains or cliffs, and noticed striations or layers? Well, a geologist can look at the pattern of lines and determine the event that took place to create the lines, when it happened and how long the event lasted! That's an amazing skill! So to prevent me from putting my architecture career on hold and going back to school to become a geologist, I just read books on the subject in my spare time.

Favorite Building? 
The Pantheon, in Rome. I fell in love with Rome because of the ancient arches and ancient history. Paris is very pleasing to me, too. The city is being used the way it should. My new favorites are in Washington, D.C., because there is a height limitation. They’re doing some amazing things.

Are you a Black architect or an architect who happens to be Black?
Well, I’m a Black female architect, so, yes and yes. You can’t deny your gender or your race. I’m a Black architect and I’m a real minority—there are just over 200 Black female architects in the nation.

Ideal project? 
I really would love for Interactive Design to be commissioned to build a high-rise in Chicago.

Does your design sense influence the way you dress? 
I’m very into classic lines and very clean stuff. I wear black and gray. I like Roland Mouret. I actually wore [his couture] for the opening gala for the Art Institute. I’ll do accents in colors. I have a red scarf that I’ll wear because it’s cold in the office, so I’ll do the French look. Most of my things are very neutral, like saddle brown. Most of my shoes are black, but I’ve started to venture out into the nudes to get some color. And I have one pair of red shoes. They’re fabulous.

Take Dina’s virtual tour of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute!

Browse our gallery of photos of the Modern Wing under construction!