ESG Architecture and Design found the balance of homey and sophistication to give the West End on Fulton Lobby and Amenity Spaces an appealing environment for work and wellness.

This 14-story life sciences centered workplace has helped reshape the Chicago skyline as one of the first high-rise buildings in the Fulton Market district. With community and wellness at the center of the design, West End on Fulton embodies features that promote engagement within itself and the neighborhood.

With a simple exterior expression, the design is understated to respect the historic nature of the neighborhood while directing attention toward downtown views. As a creative center and culinary adventure, the neighborhood is recently known for its engaging and dynamic spirit. Embodying that spirit in the building design was essential to creating a place where people would aspire to work. By defining the exterior massing as derivative of the interior architecture, the building became honest and complimentary to the activities inside. To maintain the vernacular of the surrounding architecture, a modern interpretation of the grid where intentional pauses in the framework suggest an interior function within.

This chemistry of inside-out, push-pull, expansion-contraction caused the building’s form to “breathe” responding to it’s functions. The outside edges of the ninth-floor yield inward as if drawing a deep breath, while the façade seems to swell in the gesture of the diaphragm expanding. The same narrative is carried throughout. Interior all-glass multi-floor gestures become breathing rooms, and exterior balconies provide respite for fresh air. The streetscape along Ogden and Fulton encourages pedestrian activity and adds life to the public realm. The building promotes and maintains the heart + soul of the Fulton Market, filled with active, creative, and contemporary spaces.

Tenants experience a holistic approach to comfort not only within the building but walking its sidewalks and within its neighborhood; The function of space is of equal importance to the health and well-being of its tenants.

It embraces a holistic approach to work, play, and wellness of both the business and individual employee, while differentiated among the traditional offerings in the area. The building features View Dynamic Glass on every level that allows daylight for building tenants at all times of day while minimizing heat and glare.

Ultimately, the design reflects Fulton Market’s identity as the creative center for Chicago’s business community embodied within a long-term, compelling property.

Design: ESG Architecture and Design Photography: Corey Gaffer

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