150 N Wacker

150 N Wacker is one of Chicago’s most desirable addresses for America’s growing and successful businesses. It is adjacent to the Chicago River and within walking distance of restaurants, entertainment attractions, theatres, and the hip River West district. With such an exclusive address, it was time to update the outdated utilitarian ground floor space to provide more amenities to the building’s tenants.

The building ownership and Eastlake Studio set forth to transform the storage area into usable space for the tenants. Boxes and vending machines were moved to the back of the house, opening up the front to take advantage of sweeping river views and natural light. The transformation included lounge, dining, conference, and event spaces- all with year-round river views.

The lounge design included moody tones with metallic accents contrasting the building’s bright office spaces. The designers placed a large-scale graphic on the feature wall as artwork. They searched for lighting to serve as the focal point over the lounge seating area while providing ambient illumination and complementing the overall scheme.

Created in Venice by Italian glass masters, using centuries-old techniques, Fabbian’s Saya was just the right solution. The statement pendants start with hand-welded iron frames in a metallic burnished finish that glass masters then fill with transparent blown glass, creating one-of-a-kind art pieces. The E26 lamp holders enabled designers to find their perfect LED light sources that work with the building’s dimming and occupancy controls. For this prime installation, only Saya could provide the right note of exclusivity to match the building’s stature.

Photos by Kendall McCaugherty, Hall + Merrick + McCaugherty Photographers and by courtesy of TRANSWESTERN
Designer: geniant+Eastlake Studio