AIA Northeast Illinois

Merit in Architecture Winner

Wiss Janney Elstner, Associates

The creation of the new corporate headquarters for Wiss Janney Elstner, Inc. included the interior design for 48,000 square feet of offices, conference rooms, and support spaces in an existing office/warehouse building that was acquired adjacent to the existing corporate campus. The intent of the project was to combine the office and support space needs for the different corporate groups that had come to be spread out in three primary buildings over time. Bands of private offices under new mezzanines alternate with bands of workstations in two-story open areas. These are diagonally sliced by a new main “street” connecting the groups together starting at the new front entrance. Primary “public” spaces (reception, cafeteria, and teaming areas with open stairs) are organized as circular “plazas” along the street. New skylights are inserted into the roof over the “plazas” to introduce natural light into the existing deep warehouse building. These public spaces are further identified by their palette of complementary colors. Additional skylights over the bands of open workstation areas introduce additional natural light and offices have partial glass fronts facing the open workstation areas to bring natural light into each employee space. The new main entrance to the building is clearly identified by a glass block wall to the main conference room, a new roof canopy and the company signage on the wall above.

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