A potential completion date has been revealed for the Thompson Center redevelopment at 100 W Randolph Street in The Loop. The massive building from 1985 was designed by famed architect Helmut Jahn, who fought for its preservation prior to his death when news of the structure’s sale first broke. This culminated with Google purchasing the structure last year for $105 million from The Prime Group who was originally selected by the state to buy the property for $70 million from a group of bids.
Current view of enclosed atrium at Thompson Center by Ian Achong
Previous renderings of the Thompson Center redevelopment by JAHN Architects
Initial plans called for part of the 17-story building to be sold back to the state for government offices after its renovation, however Google will now occupy most of the 308-foot tall structure’s nearly 1.2 million square-feet of space. The redevelopment itself is being designed by JAHN Architects, Helmut Jahn’s firm, who call for an updated skin for the building as well as a new enclosure for the office floors facing the inner atrium to allow it to be open to the elements.
Previous renderings of the Thompson Center redevelopment by JAHN Architects
Previous renderings of the Thompson Center redevelopment by JAHN Architects
While it is unknown how much of those plans will remain the same as Google takes over as the client, we can look at Google’s newly opened Pier 57 in New York for a potential sneak peak. The pier itself opened in 1957 and was purchased by the tech giant to create additional office space and a new public hub, with a large food hall, lounge/co-working space, and rooftop park available to all as well as to their employees.
View of redeveloped Pier 57 via Google
Previous renderings of the Thompson Center redevelopment by JAHN Architects
The Prime Group will continue to manage the redevelopment as an article by Bisnow claims they are busy gutting much of the structure to prepare it for a new curtain wall. We also have observed the slow preservation and preparation of Jean Dubuffet’s Monument with Standing Beast to be moved to the Art Institute soon as well. The developer has also claimed the new office space will open a year later than the pre-Google plans called for, with an anticipated completion some time in 2026.
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Not directly related but I did wander through pier 57 on my NYC vacation last month. It’s impressive to behold but the public areas felt aesthetically cold/antiseptic (especially after walking though the vital, pulsating streets of Manhattan to get there). The whole project was impressive and but didn’t feel like it was built to human scale. Maybe analogous to putting the Time Out market into the McCormick Place Lakeside Center and adding a landscaped roof.
As I’m writing this I suppose there are parallels with the existing Thompson Center and probably the future version as well.
Definitely a shot in the arm for the Loop and LaSalle corridor. Glad to see things are still proceeding.
This is going to be one of the most thoroughly transformed buildings ever. And I’m confident Jahn’s firm will do a lovely job of it. But it’s still a damned shame that the state let the place run down so badly. I remember being in the AG’s office maybe 15-20 years ago, and even then the place was a ruin.