Gensler Jilts Bruce and Walter; Shacks Up With Louis

In a story that I somehow missed, Crain's Chicago Business's Eddie Raeb reported on December 19th that Gensler is moving out of its space in SOM's Inland Steel Building for new digs in renamed Sullivan center, the building Louis Sullivan designed for the Carson Pirie Scott department store. Following that century-old institution's closing over a year ago, Joseph Freed and Associates is in the middle of converting the structure primarily to office space, with retail surviving only on the lower floors.

Since it was opened ten years ago, Gensler's Chicago office has grown to 225 employees, spread out over four floors in their current Inland Steel location. The move to Carson's Sullivan Center will allow Gensler to occupy 50,000 square feet on just one floor, the third, right above the storefronts framed by the largest instance of Sullivan's exuberant foliate ornament, currently behind plywood as it undergoes a multi-million dollar restoration. According to Crain's, Gensler plans to move in July.

Previously, in October of 2006, the School of the Art Institute's Architecture, Interior Architecture and Design Object Department moved into 31,000 square feet of newly renovated space on Carson's Sullivan Center's top floor, behind the columned arcade gloriously restored by Harboe Architects. Will more of Chicago's architecture and design entities be lured into doing the Louis shuffle?