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In Chicago, Major Mixed-Use Project Breaks Ground

Artist James Carpenter will create an installation for the building's facade.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 11/30/2005 12:00:00 AM

The construction trend continues in Chicago: ground-breaking has begun on a major mixed-use facility on the Loop, at 108 North State. Architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler is the design architect for the 400,000-square-foot retail, entertainment, and transportation component of the complex.

The facility will include office space, a ground-level broadcast studio, a luxury hotel, and residential units. Architecture firm Perkins + Will is architect of record for the office tower, which should be completed by late 2007, and architecture, planning, and design firm Rockwell Group is responsible for the interior design and signage.

Transparency is the underlining theme. Glass facades, concepts of reflection, observation, and sight will be integral design elements.

On the State Street facade, artist James Carpenter will create a vertical art installation, framed by Gensler’s stainless-steel panels, which will undulate in a basket-weave pattern mirroring the streetscape. “It’s got all of the components to become a major city icon,” says Grant Uhlir, Gensler’s project director. “There’s no doubt it will make downtown even more attractive to workers, residents, and visitors.”

The retail, dining, and entertainment component of the complex is expected to be finished in Spring 2008.