Chicago Illinois This 100,000 sf university conference center seeks to create an authentic, site specific meeting destination which reflects and shapes the university it serves. A subtle shift in the street it fronts is registered in the building’s angular façade. Visitors approach the building through a bosque of trees, and the building rises up: a large, angular red stone with irregular, carved openings reflecting the variety of meeting spaces inside.
Steps at the property edge lead up to a covered arcade that leads visitors inside to the wood-ceilinged lobby. An ornamental stair leads up to a south-facing lounge on the mezzanine level with a more casual, club-like atmosphere which looks out over a large outdoor retreat space surrounded by trees. Meeting rooms of various shapes and sizes on the floors above offer framed views of campus, and ivy-covered terraces throughout the building allow meeting-goers a continuous connection with nature. At the roof level, a large terrace culminates the building experience, with dramatic views of campus and the surrounding city.