Project Details
From the May 2019 Issue of ARCHITECT:
An abandoned firehouse is transformed into a fashionable factory for men’s hats.
Renowned for its large-scale commercial and institutional projects and master plans—see the New U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles (page 292) and the Detroit East Riverfront Framework Plan (page 244)—Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) takes home a third award this year for an interior almost diametrically opposite in dimensions, purpose, and character. Chicago-based Optimo is a maker of traditional men’s hats, manufactured the old-fashioned way on an artisanal scale by a team of dedicated craftsman. Its new headquarters and factory, located in the South Side neighborhood of Beverly, is in a long-abandoned firehouse, acquired essentially gratis from the city as a bare shell with the requirement that it be rehabilitated.
The architects began by dividing up the program: On the ground floor, they placed the manufacturing and display functions, an eye-catching spectacle visible through the wide glass front through which fire engines once passed; above, on the upper two levels, private offices and a creative atelier afford the employees room to think, meet, and experiment out of the public eye. As one might expect from a firm with SOM’s engineering pedigree, the entire scheme is a wonder of mechanical organization, with all the implements and power systems of the hatmakers’ trade (steam for pressing the fabric, compressed air for molding it, electrical tools for cutting) organized for optimal efficiency, as well as safety.
What truly impresses, however, is the material splendor and spatial elegance in which all this action unfolds. It is a romantic environment of richly patterned wood and exposed metal members with traces of the old building still visible, including the now-empty apertures for the fireman’s pole of old which punch through every floor, creating peekaboo portals between them. Intimate, nostalgic, and chic, the design could easily pass for the work of a small boutique interiors practice, rather than one of America’s best known and most venerable global architecture firms.
Project Credits
Project: Optimo Hat Co., Chicago
Client: Optimo Hat Co.
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago . Brian Lee, FAIA (design partner); Daniel Bell (senior technical designer); Dennis Milam, AIA (technical designer); Dickson Whitney III, AIA (project manager)
Interior Designer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago . Jaime Velez (director of interior design); Jeremy Bouck (senior interior designer); Michelle Mirrielees (materials specialist)
Mechanical Engineer: Rebecca Delaney (team leader)
General Contractor: Helios Construction
Creative Consultant to Optimo: Richard F. Tomlinson II
Project and Process Management: Cotter Consulting
Record Collection: Edward Steed
Radiant Heating Consultant: GRYF-Radiant Floor Heating Systems
Project/Design Assistance: Bureau of Architecture and Design
LEED Certification Specialist: Joseph Clair
Demo/Maintenance/White Glove Detailing: Omar Navar
John Lee Hooker Photograph: Paul Natkin
Trim and Woodwork: Carpenter Corey
Size: 7,770 square feet
Cost: Withheld
Materials and Sources
Flooring: Ace Flooring and Restoration (hardwood flooring)
Furniture: Modified Originals (walnut table)
Gypsum: Hugo Sanchez (plasterwork)
Metal: Bader Art Metal & Fabrication
Paints/Finishes: MD Decorating (paint)
Windows/Doors: Leo Carrero/Specialty Prototypes (brass front doors)
This project won a 2019 Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture
In Chicago’s historic Beverly neighborhood, a 100-year-old decommissioned firehouse is now the LEED Silver certified workshop and headquarters for Optimo, a producer of handmade hats with a cult following across the globe. Bolstering the company’s production capacity by a factor of 10, its new home further cements its dedication to local hiring and training.
Founded in Beverly on Chicago’s South Side in 1991, Optimo was originally located in a much smaller storefront location, producing about 10 hats per day. The company’s growth prompted it to find a new location to expand its capabilities and increase its connection with the community. In 2015 Optimo was able to purchase the firehouse for just $1, thanks to a city program that sold empty lots and vacant properties for little more than pocket change to incentivize adaptive reuse and development. Located within the 95th Street corridor adjacent to a Metra station, the firehouse is firmly in Beverly’s gateway. Once badly deteriorated and stripped of all plumbing and electrical, it has been reborn as an important piece of Beverly’s urban fabric.
The existing structure, at 7,700 square feet, allowed the program to be distributed across its three floors. The first is dedicated to manufacturing, while the second and third stories house, respectively, a design studio and Optimo’s offices. Overall, the design encourages efficiency and collaboration by organizing the manufacturing equipment and distribution of electrical, steam, and compressed air to maximize productivity and create a healthy workspace.
Inside, durable and long-lasting materials such as blackened steel, walnut, and cork deliver a contemporary industrial aesthetic. The team preserved remnants of the building’s former life, including the Chicago Fire Department plaque and marble from the original showers which was used in the construction of a new kitchen. On the second floor, porthole windows flush with the floor now fill the original fireman’s pole openings.
Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
Chicago, Illinois – For more than 25 years, Optimo has developed a cult following as a leading maker of handcrafted hats for a unique, diverse, and devoted global clientele. Located in Beverly, Illinois, an historic neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, Optimo’s recently completed headquarters consolidates its design, operations, and production spaces inside a 100-year-old decommissioned firehouse. To create a space reflective of Optimo’s ethos of craftsmanship, authenticity, and timeless luxury, the company engaged SOM—a firm which shares the same values—to develop a scheme befitting of a hat maker known for its rigorous attention to detail.
Expressed as a contemporary workshop with an industrial aesthetic, the design draws from a palette of refined, understated materials, including blackened steel, walnut, and cork. SOM worked with Optimo to create an efficient and collaborative work flow, more than doubling Optimo’s production capacity and accommodating future expansion. “Our intention was to create an exceptional hat factory to produce an exceptional product,” says Optimo owner Graham Thompson. “Collaborating with SOM was key in reimagining this space—we both approach design with integrity and purpose.”
The space is as customized as the hats themselves: elegant steel casings frame task and ambient lighting above workstations; custom floor-to-ceiling shelving houses unique hat forms and molds; tailor-made rolling racks organize and mobilize hats for effortless access on the factory floor; modern and antique machinery were organized and finished uniformly in matte black; and restored glazed-brick walls wrap the daylit double-height space. Using early to mid-20th century techniques, each Optimo hat is formed and finished with materials like straw, fine furs, and rare ribbons to provide the superior product that defines the brand.
On the second floor, an expansive studio space serves as a design atelier to host clients and guests. Remnants of the original firehouse can be seen throughout, including porthole windows flush to the floor where firepoles once stood, allowing visual connections to the workroom below. Mounted to the ceiling, a handcrafted circular light fixture, measuring 10 feet in diameter, anchors the room, while an immense 19-foot walnut table recalls the design of the factory workbenches below. Framing the east wall, 12-foot-tall steel shelves display a collection of objects drawn from decades of hat making, including production equipment, custom tools, and historic hats, some produced by Optimo owner Graham Thompson and his mentor, the late legendary Chicago hatter Johnny Tyus.
Adjacent to the atelier, a private office is delineated by open shelving designed in the same style as the industrial hat carts used on the production floor. Leather sofas, brass light fixtures, and dark walls create a comfortable ambience in the lounge area. Tucked discretely behind the south wall, private areas and full-scale working kitchen, finished with marble discovered in the original firehouse showers, serve as staging spaces for events and client visits.
As the last custom men’s hat maker in Chicago, Optimo plays an important role in contributing to a tradition that defines the ‘City of Broad Shoulders’, supporting Beverly’s economic and social vitality by employing local residents and fostering creative community. “We are proud to apply a high level of thoughtfulness and design rigor to this small project, connecting to a rich history of craftsmanship in South Chicago,” says Brian Lee, Design Partner at SOM. “This is a great story for the city.” The smallest factory ever designed by SOM, the Optimo headquarters provides a refined and dignified home for the storied brand at its South Chicago location.