South Asia Institute sits within the historic Motor Row District, near McCormick Place. Built in 1911 in the Second Empire style, the building is a registered national landmark. It was originally built for the B.F. Goodrich warehouse and sales center to cater to the automotive needs of the general public and the automobile showrooms that dotted this area at the turn of the last century. Recently the terracotta façade has been painstakingly restored to its original grandeur, while the interior has been extensively renovated to create spaces for art exhibitions, dance and music performances, film screenings, literary events, lectures and seminars. The institution also houses a research library, with over 1000+ books on South Asian art and culture, many of which are not available anywhere else in Chicago.