New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/02C | Page 74

Project
CME Center
Location:
Chicago
Architect:
Krueck + Sexton Architects
OPEN TO VIEW
The revamp of a tired, restrictive and utilitarian lobby in a prominent 30-year-old
building has created a vibrant, free-flowing and transparent space that’s proved
attractive to both tenants and a younger generation of workers
Previous pages:Designed by
Krueck + Sexton Architects, the
renovated lobby at Chicago’s
CME Center is now encased in a
sinuous glass storefront made of
a series of curved glass panels,
all supported by glass fins.
Left:The new lobby creates a
much stronger connection to
busy Wacker Drive, opening the
building up to the streetscape
and the hundreds of thousands
of pedestrians that pass by each
day on the way to and from
nearby commuter rail stations.
Facing page:Architect Mark
Sexton says that instead of
considering the reception/security
desk as a purely utilitarian
structure, it was designed as a
major art piece. Referred to as
‘The Ribbon’, it was inspired by
the shavings obtained when a
piece of wood is planed.
It’s often said that an office reception area,
and the receptionist, are key to creating a visitor’s
first impression of a business. But there’s another
touchpoint before a visitor even reaches reception –
whether the building itself is open and inviting, with
clear entrances and circulation pathways.
At the CME Center in Chicago’s bustling West
Loop, the building’s lobbies were starting to show
their age after 30 years of use. Architect Mark
Sexton of Krueck + Sexton Architects says they
were functional but tired looking, while the lack of
daylight created a dark, uninspiring experience.
They were also out of step with what tenants and
their staff expected of a lobby these days.
“The days of staff being chained to their desks
are gone,” says Sexton. “Buildings these days need
a lot of community spaces – especially to attract
and retain younger staff. So tenants want a building
with more than just an empty lobby.”
What’s also changed is the requirement for
higher levels of security after 9/11. At the CME
Centre, as with most office buildings, this had
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meant implementing security checks and installing
controlled turnstile access to elevators.
“This had actually sabotaged the whole circula-
tion flow of the building – especially if you wanted
to go between the building’s two office towers.”
Some movements even required exiting the
building and then re-entering to complete a journey.
The initial impetus was to make the building
continuously accessible on the inside for the 10,000
people who entered and exited it every work day.
“That led to our design for a sinuous curving
storefront on the street side, made from 7.6m x
1.22m glass panels, all supported by glass fins.
This pushes out beyond the original lobby footprint
adding about 280m 2 of new space.
“The expanse of glass also improves the interior-
exterior connectivity, and reduces the separation
between commuters and the building’s services.”
To retain the solid, sturdy essence of the
building, the original concrete columns were left
exposed and complemented with a terrazzo floor.
“Countering that, we designed a wall system that