Gensler has unveiled plans for a major renovation of JPMorgan Chase’s 55-year-old Chicago headquarters in the South Loop that will transform the building into a new state-of-the-art workplace aimed at fostering collaboration and ushering the bank’s over 14,500 local employees into what the company calls the “future of work.”

The 60-story tower was originally designed by C.F. Murphy Associates and Perkins&Will and currently is home to 7,200 workers. 

JPMorgan Chase says they want an environment for the bank's employees that is centered around health and wellness considerations. According to their press announcement, the project's scope includes:

• Refreshed and interconnected, plaza, lobby and mezzanine with updated food hall, enhanced dining seating and collaboration spaces, modernized lobby entry experience, and mezzanine level common space with robust café experience.
• Refurbished work floors with state-of-the-art technology and furniture, updated meeting rooms, common spaces, restrooms and pantry areas.
• Brand new fitness center on the lobby level featuring yoga/cycling room, wellness areas, prayer and meditation spaces, and other amenities.
• World-class conference and client center at the top floors of the 60-story tower offering unobstructed city views and dynamic events for clients and employees.

Other aspects of the project include the restoration of Marc Chagall's important Four Seasons mosaic, modernizing the building's elevator system, improvements to the outdoor plaza area, and the installation of nearly 500,000 square feet worth of carbon-neutral flooring.

Gensler's plan represents the first time the building will be renovated in over 20 years. The project will target a yet-unspecified LEED certification through a variety of strategies meant to yield, among other deliverables, a 35% reduction in water usage and a drastic improvement of the building's indoor air quality.

“Gensler has been fortunate to have maintained a decades-long relationship with this iconic building; we’ve always sought to respect the significant architectural expression, intervening in thoughtful ways,” Principal Eric Gannon said at the announcement. “Today, our work with JPMorgan Chase reflects the needs of the modern workforce, reconsidering first impressions, points of connection, and amenities — an opportunity to transcend the ordinary and rediscover the potential of the tower.”

There was no project cost or other architects named for the Chase Tower project at press time. A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said construction is already underway and will be completed within the next two years.