Thursday, July 16, 2015

Perkins+Will Dumps Mies; Heads to Wrigley

Perkins+Will, Chicago's largest architecture firm, with over $400 million in revenue, announced this morning that they're switching from one architectural icon to another.  Early next year, they'll be vacating their long-time home at Mies van der Rohe's IBM Building, now known as AMA Plaza, for new offices in the recently refurbished Wrigley Building, the classically-styled  that's been a floodlit icon at  the foot of North Michigan Avenue and the River since its opening in the 1920's.  Perkins+Will, established in 1935  has been at the IBM since 1992, when it announced it was moving its 330 employees into nearly 50,000 square feet of space.  The firm currently occupies the 35th and 36th floor at IBM/330, the last skyscraper designed by Mies before his death in 1969.

In making the move, the firm will be trading in Miesian minimalism for the ornately ornamented, glazed terra-cotta grandeur of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White's design, the first tower built north of the Chicago River.  The annex opened in 1924.  The original 425-foot-high south tower, completed in 1921, is dominated by the 20-foot-high clock at its apex.

After being acquired by Mars Candy, Wrigley sold their landmark building and in 2012 moved its last employees to the company's research facility on Goose Island.  The complex has undergone a major rehabilitation, including a rehab of the plaza between the two buildings that has seen the opening of a two-level story Walgreen's, Peet's Coffee, and, most recently, a two-story Ghiradelli Chocolate store opening along the plaza.

Perkins+Will will occupy over 60,000 square feet in the "top floors" of the north tower annex, configured into open-space offices, with employees also having access to a new rooftop terrace.  The firm moved up from fifth position on Architectural Record's just-published list of top U.S. architects, with its revenue approximately 2/3 domestic and 1/3 international.

Full text of this morning's press release after the break.

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Press Contact

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Perkins+Will to Relocate Chicago Office to Wrigley Building

New space in historic building fosters creative, collaborative design 

CHICAGO – July 16, 2015 – The Chicago office of global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will will relocate to the North Tower of the historic Wrigley Building from the firm’s current headquarters at 330 N. Wabash Avenue. The firm has signed a 60,440-square-foot lease to occupy the top floors of the Tower in offices that are being designed to foster collaboration and creativity. The new office will also feature a roof terrace that can host community events and provide an outdoor gathering and working space for employees. 

The office move, which is expected to take place in early 2016, comes as Perkins+Will celebrates its 80th anniversary and its founding Chicago office experiences significant growth. “This is an exciting time for Perkins+Will,” said Chicago managing director Gina Berndt. “Our new office in the landmark Wrigley Building symbolizes our commitment to staying in downtown Chicago in a vibrant space that will build on our distinctive culture and responsiveness to our clients.”

Construction on the new office is expected to begin in September, and is planned to be LEED Platinum certified. The office is being designed as an open plan, highly flexible “living lab,” sparking new ideas among architects, planners, and interior designers. “We are intentionally designing our new offices with few walls and private offices, developing a hub of creativity across business sectors where employees will have more choices to meet in small or large groups, formally and informally, in open spaces or in conference rooms,” said design director Tim Wolfe. 

Brokers for Perkins+Will are Colliers International, Inc. with Steve Levitas and Bob Chodos as agents representing the firm, and for The Wrigley Building are Zeller Realty Group and Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. 

The Chicago office of Perkins+Will is the firm's founding office. Established in 1935 by Lawrence Perkins and Philip Will, Jr., the office remains the largest in the firm, harnessing the expertise of more than 250 architects, interior designers, and planners. The office's multi-disciplinary work spans nearly every sector including higher education, K-12 education, healthcare, corporate, commercial, civic, and science and technology. From its acclaimed Crow Island School to the award-winning Rush University Medical Center
Hospital Tower, the Chicago office has a legacy of award-winning design excellence. The Chicago office has garnered hundreds of awards from prestigious industry publications and organizations in the region and around the world. 
 
About Perkins+Will
Perkins+Will is an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm established in 1935 and founded on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance communities. Each of the firm’s 24 offices focuses on local, regional, and global work in a variety of practice areas. With hundreds of award-winning projects annually, Perkins+Will is highly ranked among top global design firms. Perkins+Will is recognized as one of the industry’s preeminent sustainable design firms due to its innovative research, design tools, and expertise. The firm's 1,700 professionals are thought leaders in developing 21st century solutions to inspire the creation of spaces in which clients and their communities work, heal, live, and learn. Social responsibility is a fundamental aspect of Perkins+Will’s culture and every year the company donates 1% of its design services to pro bono initiatives. In 2015, Fast Company ranked Perkins+Will among “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Architecture.” For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.

2 comments:

Ashutosh Kumar said...

Really such a beautiful designs. Thanks for sharing.
Design Square Architects

Greenline Architects said...

Great