As the latest commission in an ongoing relationship with client Means Knaus Partners (now Jones Lang LaSalle), FitzGerald has been commissioned to design a brand new lobby lounge at 300 South Riverside Plaza in Chicago’s Loop.
In response today’s changing workplace environments, FitzGerald as collaborated with building management of a significant downtown office property to develop an inviting lobby lounge for building tenants and visitors to relax, gather, and work in an intimate setting that evokes the feeling of a first class airline lounge. The space is distinguished from the surrounding modernist building lobby with soft finishes—carpet and acoustical felt ceiling treatments that define the space and lower the perceived ceiling height for a more intimate experience. Large windows provide sightlines to the building’s plaza, and a wood veneer feature wall incorporates a media display for building announcements and the news of the day.
Furnishings and finishes pay homage to the building’s modernist style and provide open, interactive areas. The space is broken into distinct seating areas with furnishings chosen for their flexibility and functionality: large lounge pieces are accompanied by movable, adjustable-height tables that are as appropriate for a latte as they are a laptop; A low-height touchdown counter with chairs and charging stations allow for more rigorous individual work or small-group collaboration to take place; and in other areas, small groupings of lounge chairs and ottomans allow for conversation and quiet reflection.
Construction is expected to be complete in Q1 of 2014.
