800 W. Fulton Market

This project was selected as a winner in AIA's 2023 Interior Architecture Awards. You can read more about this project, which was recognized in ARCHITECT's 2023 Lighting & Architecture Design Awards, here.

One of the first office buildings to open in Chicago after the COVID-19 pandemic began, 800 W. Fulton Market was ahead of its time. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the 19-story, LEED Platinum project has a nearly 40-foot-tall interior lobby where flexible workstations are seamlessly integrated with community spaces, retailers, and a fitness center on the ground floor, encouraging a lively environment that is activated by both workers and the public throughout the day. This piazza-like feel on the lower level is matched with outdoor terraces for tenants on alternating upper levels, creating a workplace that supports health, wellness, and nontraditional work styles—values that many companies are now retrofitting their existing structures to achieve.

In the office spaces, the interior palette is industrial: Brick, steel, and wood are the most prominent elements. Leaving concrete supports and ductwork exposed helped to reduce the project’s cost and carbon footprint. However, to avoid a cavernous feel, furniture, plants, and lighting are human-scaled and skew low-slung—fostering an inviting environment and no doubt furthering the appeal of returning to office life.

PROJECT CREDITS
Project: 800 W. Fulton Market
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Landscape Architect: Omni Ecosystems
MEP Engineer: Dbhms
Structural Engineer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Terra Engineering: Civil Engineering
Client/Developer: Thor Equities
Developer: QuadReal
General Contractor: Lendlease
Size: 37,576 square feet

This article first appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of ARCHITECT.