Chicago science lab invites wellness and design drama to the workspace
A luxurious science lab by Gensler with Sterling Bay Design Studio brings indulgence to this type of workspace; welcome to 1229 West Concord in Chicago’s Lincoln Yards
![exterior of Chicago science lab](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kvHH9Ph9K9ZgPqF7k5XdB7-415-80.jpg)
1229 West Concord in Chicago's Lincoln Yards is a science lab like no other; while the building is the home of groundbreaking medical research, the space, created by Gensler with Sterling Bay Design Studio (the scheme developer's in-house design team), could easily be mistaken for a high-end hospitality interior. Smooth, curved glass façades and streamlined volumes offer sleekness and edge. At the same time, warm, soft interiors with modernist architecture influences, and a list of amenities to put many hotels to shame, create a workspace environment for the 21st century.
Chicago science lab: where luxury meets technology
The life-science building spans eight storeys, including a generous, double-height reception lobby. It leads to a range of spaces above, catering both to the business' needs, as well as the employees’ comfort and wellbeing. The architects implemented biophilic design principles throughout – including wellness amenities for users, generosity of space and views of the city's river, expansive outdoor private terraces, and circadian artificial lighting to complement natural light exposure from the wrap-around gazed façades.
Meanwhile, clean, minimalist architecture-style surfaces in neutral colour tones are accentuated by sculptural design elements, such as the twisting staircase that connects the ground-level lounge and the mezzanine above. These design features are matched by flexible interiors throughout, to accommodate changing work needs, as well as the necessary event spaces, office and lab areas that the company required for its operations.
'Designed under the principles of ‘light, air, and openness’, 1229 W Concord infuses hospitality with life-sciences through abundant daylight, riverfront outdoor spaces, and warm interior furnishings. The building’s façade is a celebration of both lab and workspace. The southern (lab) half is more controlled, with deep overhangs protecting the glazing from heat gain. The northern (workspace) half opens up with floor-to-ceiling glass, jutting out towards the water to take advantage of skyline views. In the overlap of the two, prominence is given to long sweeping balconies along the waterfront,' says Michael Townsend, principal at Gensler.
'This building is the first step in the much larger masterplan revitalisation of the Chicago River, and it is part of the shift from past industrial and manufacturing riverfront use to healthy, publicly accessible places for emerging industries, including life-sciences. Given the city’s location along one of the country’s most prominent bird migratory paths, the building sets a new standard for Chicago high-rises with holistic bird collision deterrence strategies.'
Steph Geronimo Smothers, vice president for design at Sterling Bay adds: '1229 West Concord is designed to push the envelope and predict the needs of the next generation of lab spaces. Life-science spaces are often created with a technical, sterile lens, but this building is designed to humanise the tenant experience.'
She continues, 'Sterling Bay Design Studio worked closely with Gensler to create a cutting-edge vision for life-sciences, including hospitality-inspired amenities and sophisticated communal spaces that leverage style and function to inspire collaboration and, hopefully, breakthroughs among peers. With panoramic river and city views and expansive outdoor terraces, the building seamlessly connects to nature, utilizing natural light and fresh air to set new standards for the industry.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
IM Pei's Everson Museum of Art gets a modern makeover
The East Wing of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY has been given a contemporary refresh by emerging Los Angeles studio MILLIØNS
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Black Modernism’s lesser-known, at-risk architecture gems gain a lifeline
Conserving Black Modernism announces vital funding to save and preserve overlooked and endangered buildings by African American architects and designers
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Step into the Blanton Museum of Art's reimagined public realm by Snøhetta in Austin
Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas is completed and reveals its reimagined public realm and plaza designed by Snøhetta
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This New York Townhouse renovation is a lesson in contemporary minimalism
TenBerke’s carefully considered New York townhouse is the reimagining of a century-old Manhattan structure that reframes vertical living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Visit The Frost House, a lesser-known modernist architecture marvel in Michigan City
The Frost House is a lesser-known midcentury architecture gem in Michigan City, Indiana; we took the tour as the property goes on the market
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
Broadway designer Scott Pask’s Arizona retreat is a scene-stealing discovery
Scott Pask invites us inside his Arizona retreat, nestled in the foothills overlooking Tucson – a place to reboot, recharge and commune with nature
By Michael Webb Published
-
Upstate New York retreat Ridge House evokes land art
Ridge House in upstate New York, the work of Brooklyn-based studio Worrell Yeung, is at one with the surrounding countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas’ first ground-up project is a forever home with waterfront views and hidden treasures
Rafael de Cárdenas reveals his latest completed project in the Pacific Northwest, a family home of calming spaces that bleed the outside in, and ten years in the making
By Ellie Stathaki Published