1 North Dearborn
Background
As the home of a former Sears department store, 1 North Dearborn Street used to be a popular destination, but in recent years its street presence had been diminished by its Chicago Loop neighbors. The client asked us to create a design on a tight budget that would strengthen the building’s identity and make it more appealing to higher-value tenants.
Strategy
We designed a custom light sculpture and media to fill the empty storefront windows flanking the main entry. The sculpture functions as an infinity mirror, simulating great depth and changing perspective to passers-by, encouraging them to engage with the work.
A long process of prototyping resulted in the final work, which uses warm lighting and bronze finishes to better integrate with the historic building’s existing details. Here you see the final two-way mirror being placed in front of the light fixtures, completing the infinity illusion.