Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) recently completed work on 800 Fulton Market, a new mixed-use office building in Chicago’s historic Fulton Market/West Loop neighborhood. The tower applies innovations in pandemic-responsive design, leveraging capacity-monitoring technology and ample outdoor space to promote tenant safety, health, and wellness.
The 800 Fulton tower features smart building systems. Assistive technology enables availability and capacity monitoring for conference rooms and amenity spaces and tracks paper product usage, while mechanical systems cycle fresh air throughout the building. The project is targeting both LEED Platinum and WELL Building Standard certification.
The 19-floor design also reflects the rhythm and scale of the Fulton Market District’s historic low-rise streetscape. From a three-story podium, the building rises in stepped terraces that create landscaped outdoor spaces with native planting and trees.
![800 Fulton Market ext 2](/sites/default/files/inline-images/unnamed%20%286%29.jpg)
External steel brace frames on the east and west elevations have been engineered with Chicago’s harsh winters in mind. The central node of each brace moves closer to the facade as the braces cool and contract—and further from the facade as the braces heat up and expand. Through an expected range of about 9 inches of thermal movements, the braces are effective at resisting wind loads. Together with an offset cantilevered core made of glass, this structural system enables large, open floor plates and flexible, light-filled workspaces.
![800 Fulton Market interior](/sites/default/files/inline-images/unnamed%20%287%29.jpg)
Inside, a nearly 40-foot-tall main lobby is defined by a cantilevered staircase and mezzanine that create layered spaces of activity. With exposed concrete, wood, and red brick, the lobby mimics the tower’s exterior and draws inspiration from the neighborhood’s industrial history. With flexible workstations and seating, the lobby also serves as an interactive space that blends seamlessly with the busy streetscape.
The rooftop bar and terraces on the 18th and 19th floors offer panoramic views of the surrounding city. The building also includes retail, community and conferencing spaces, a fitness center, and a lounge.
The building team includes:
Owner and developer: Thor Equities, QuadReal
Design architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Architect of record: SOM
MEP engineer: dbHMS
Structural engineer: SOM
General contractor/construction manager: Lendlease
![800 Fulton Market interior 2](/sites/default/files/inline-images/unnamed%20%288%29.jpg)
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Apr 4, 2017
Amazon’s newest office building will be an ‘urban treehouse’
The building will provide 405,000 sf of office space in downtown Seattle.
Standards | Mar 29, 2017
Wellness movement is catching on with AEC firms
Hord Caplan Macht the latest to join the club by submitting its offices for certification under Fitwel’s program.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 28, 2017
Digital tools accelerated the design and renovation of one contractor’s new office building
One shortcut: sending shop drawings created from laser scans directly to a wood panel fabricator.
Office Buildings | Mar 27, 2017
New York warehouse to become an office mixing industrial and modern aesthetics
The building is located in West Chelsea between the High Line and West Street.
Office Buildings | Mar 24, 2017
Brookfield expands its ‘office of the future’ brand to Houston
The developer engaged four design firms to come up with unique suites it will market under its DesignHive label.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2017
Fruit company’s HQ acts as an oasis among surrounding industrial processing yards
Graham Baba Architects designed the project around a central, landscaped courtyard.
Office Buildings | Mar 20, 2017
The new workplace: More than a generational issue
Today’s workplace requires designers and employers to look holistically at the organization’s culture, its criteria for success, and its place in the world.
Office Buildings | Mar 7, 2017
Large creative office projects generate staggering returns for property investors
A new Transwestern report examines the adaptive reuse trend across the U.S.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017
White paper from Perkins Eastman and Three H examines how design can inform employee productivity and wellbeing
This paper is the first in a planned three-part series of studies on the evolution of diverse office environments and how the contemporary activity-based workplace (ABW) can be uniquely tailored to support a range of employee personalities, tasks and work modes.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017
Office renovation and addition give new life to a section of Huntsville, Ala.
The newly opened Freedom Center, near Redstone Arsenal, includes a 10,000-sf conference center.