Chicago Mixed-Use Development

Renowned for historic ties to Black artists such as poet Gwendolyn Brooks and musician Louis Armstrong, this Chicago neighborhood is in the throes of a cultural revival and is emerging as a renewed community hub. Designed to celebrate a legacy of Black excellence, this new mixed-use development will bridge the gap between the city’s thriving commercial present and its vibrant artistic past.

Located adjacent to a bustling city park and within walking distance of Lake Michigan, the site is comprised of two multi-use structures, each about 200,000 SF, and will feature ground level retail components, office space, and upper-level residences with both private and public roof gardens. The building’s design is inspired by the chromatic scale popularized in jazz music and will include an alternating balance of public and private space. Recessed walls in the façade and base will provide gathering areas for the community, while businesses and residents will occupy the interior and activate the streetscape. The buildings are clad in bird-friendly glazing and incorporate passive solar shading via overhangs that formally express the building’s sustainability.

Reverently attentive to the cultural elements that epitomize the area’s history, the project literally pushes back walls to create space for its diverse community. Steeped in this knowledge, the site is a cohesive interplay of space and color, exemplified by the rhythmic, multi-colored paneling of the parking podiums. The project extends historic storylines into a place that prompts thought, fosters equitable relationships, drives innovation, and inspires the long-term health of the community.