Office Buildings Turn On A New Face

mental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for historic adaptive reuse, according to LRK.

Specific sustainability features include a district 3.5-MW, 9.6-million Btu/hour CHP (combined heat and power) plant that provides thermal and electrical needs for the entire project, plus neighboring healthcare, educational, and residential facilities. Further efficiencies will curtail water use by 40% to minimize the impact on the Memphis aquifer, the main source of water for the city.

As a project to serve the community, the design of Crosstown Concourse put people first and focused on planning the space to offer moments for gathering, convergence, and community enhancement, according to the architects. Traditional planning is all about separation. Employment, industrial, and housing all exist separately of one another within the urban context. Urban magnets do the opposite. Crosstown converges all these urban pieces so they work together to not only serve the community, but also to create one. Crosstown’s design creates diversity, inclusivity, traffic, and a truly unique place to inhabit and use. CA

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Granville Island Redevelopment

Crosstown Concourse website

Well Buildings Certifi cation

Above. Crosstown also contains 270 private residences, which are all connected to the surrounding community through a series of open-air plazas and gardens.

Below. Crosstown Concourse’s connecting corridors and atria have been designed as dynamic architectural environments, inspiring movement and exploration through the space. Brick walls, exposed structure, concrete fl oors, and natural light are integral.

Large-scale digital and light-art installations draw tenants and delight visitors.

New building identification announces 515 North State as a modern property and gives it a clear front door. An LED wall is visible through the glass façade, mirroring the energy of the city and engaging passersby. Photo. Caleb Tkach T he entrances and lobbies of 515 North State and 1 North Dearborn—two iconic Chicago office buildings—have been re-imagined for the 21st century with large-scale digital-art installations that put each property on Chicago’s cultural map. Both makeovers were created for the buildings’ owner, Beacon Capital Partners, Chicago (beaconcapital.com), a real estate investment firm, by ESI Design, New York (esidesign.com).

ESI Design, deploying the same design philosophy that it applies to its work for cultural institutions, corporate campuses, brands, and retailers, helped transform the once overshadowed properties into experiences by drawing on its diverse team of artists, architects, storytellers, technologists, and strategists.

“Our goal is to create distinctive workplaces, and both of these renovations reveal how digital and light art can transform buildings into experiences that engage tenants and draw visitors,” said Greg O’Neal, senior vice president and asset manager, Beacon Capital Partners. “The work ESI Design did at 515 North State and 1 North Dearborn reveals that new, engaging, and artistic

ESI Design created a 14-ft.-wide x 23-ft.- tall digital-art installation for 515 North State that constantly “paints” new compositions. Titled “Canvas,” the site-specific work deconstructs original video footage of life in Chicago’s River North neighborhood into a piece of art that is always evolving. Photo: Caleb Tkach

experiences can be found in the most unexpected places, including our modern Class-A office buildings.”

515 NORTH STATE At 515 North State, the design firm transformed the building’s lobby into an eye-catching, contemporary art space. Playing on the typical approach of installing an abstract painting in the lobby, designers instead created a 14-ft.-wide x 23-ft.-tall digital-art installation that constantly “paints” new compositions. Titled “Canvas,” the site-specific work deconstructs original video footage of life in Chicago’s vibrant River North neighborhood into a museum-worthy piece of art that is always evolving.

Using custom-designed software, the installation enables locally shot footage of scenes, such as boats on the Chicago River and amusement rides on Navy Pier, to dissolve into abstract patterns and then slowly sharpen back into clarity. “Canvas” has the ability to generate more than 5,000 unique compositions from nearly five hours of initial footage specially shot at 16 locations. The soaring installation is visible from the street through the building’s glass facade, breathing life into the surrounding streetscape and creating a new Chicago attraction by capturing the attention of passersby.

“The daily motion of Chicago ‘paints’ the pictures into place at 515 North State,” said Ed Purver, senior designer, creative technology at ESI Design. “Our custom software analyzes each video for moving objects, so moments like a person walking, or a car driving become the ‘brushstrokes’ that slowly create each abstraction. As each video collides with the next, new compositions unfold in real time, literally creating thousands of possibilities in this one-of-a-kind evolving digital artwork,” Purver explained.

Other highlights of the 515 North State renovation include a new building-identification sign and revamped elevator bays, which feature transparent LCD screens that provide up-to-date local information such as weather forecasts, trending Twitter topics, and transit alerts. A palette of red and gray creates focal points