Firm： Gensler

Type： Commercial › Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2017

Gensler has created the design for Fulton West as a multi-tenant space for tech companies located in the West Loop of downtown Chicago, Illinois.

The design for 1330 West Fulton Street envisions a new stage in the evolution of Fulton Market. Using architectural language authentic to the district, the design builds on and reinterprets the forms and material of the neighborhood and augments these elements with contemporary forms and materials. The design respects the historic structures and neighborhood character while giving a fresh look to the West Loop Innovation District and a clear signal that tech and innovation is taking place within this project.

To attract emerging tech companies to this designated “Innovation District,” developer Sterling Bay engaged Gensler in reviving work on a previously abandoned development to create a unique and desirable workplace for tech tenants. The building comprises two visually distinct parts: its dark brick, five-story base uses a vernacular authentic to the district, reflecting and reinterpreting forms and materials of the surrounding warehouses; the upper four floors are lighter and more contemporary, with a façade of aluminum and glass. While the floor plates are optimized for office space, new amenities create choice for future workers. A range of outdoor spaces are incorporated, including a grade-level courtyard, communal roof deck and multiple tenant terraces.