Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), along with real estate investment firms QuadReal and Thor Equities, have announced the completion of 800 Fulton Market, a 326-foot-tall, mixed-use office tower that stands out for its wide range of pandemic-responsive design features. 

The building is located in one of Chicago’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, the Fulton Market District. It relates to the neighborhood’s historic low-rise streetscape and Chicago's downtown high rises through a series of stepped, landscaped terraces. The 19-story building sports a façade of brick, glass, and exposed structural steel bracing, which also draws from the area's industrial character. 

“We set out to design a building that would feel like it had always been part of Fulton Market’s historic, industrial character, but also recognized the pressures and concerns of the new vibrant neighborhood,” said SOM Consulting Design Partner Brian Lee. “This sensitivity informed everything from our material choices to the gracefully stepped form, in conversation with both its immediate context and Chicago’s famous skyline.”

800 Fulton Market features an assortment of smart building systems that promote wellness, sustainability, and energy efficiency. For starters, Thor Equity employed Buildings IOT to deliver cloud-based machine learning insights to the property team in order to better support the tenants and maintain the building. The technology monitors spaces and circulates fresh air throughout the building. The tower also features electronic charging stations and scooters for tenant use, a centralized tenant mobile app to house access control, and offers employees the ability to reserve amenities. Through extensive analysis of the building’s life cycle and sustainable design program, the design team reduced its enclosure and structures embodied carbon by 65% when compared to an industry-standard commercial office. 

The building is distinguished by its external X-braced frames, engineered to withstand Chicago’s winters and strong winds by contracting in cooler weather and expanding in warmer temperatures. This, coupled with an offset core made of glass suspended along the north side of the building, enables large, open floor plates and flexible, light-filled workspaces.

Inside, a triple-height main lobby is defined by a cantilevered staircase and mezzanine that create layered spaces of activity. This space offers flexible seating and informal spaces for working and collaborating. A material palette of exposed concrete, wood, and red brick match the building’s exterior. 800 Fulton Market is home to a mix of retail, community, and conference spaces, a fitness center, and a lounge. Throughout the space are six site-specific murals all completed by Chicago-based artists. 

The project is certified LEED Platinum, WiredScore Platinum, SmartScore Platinum and targets WELL Building Standard certification.