446 East Ontario

Property manager Group Fox realized an opportunity to convert 100,000 square feet of vacant office space into 101 hotel rooms at a landmark building in Chicago, IL. Five floors, six through 10, will be repositioned for short term rentals within the base of the 60-story mixed-use tower in the Streeterville neighborhood. The unique shape and taper of the concrete building presented a unique opportunity, and challenge, to bring the outside into the building within the existing footprint.

The design is bold. To make the hotel conversion possible, the enclosed concreate podium will be opened-up to the hotel floor levels to create an open-air courtyard that will transform the 1980s office setting into a light-filled retreat. With a 60% incline at the base of the hotel floors, the unit layouts considered the geometry of the building to make the most efficient use of space. 3D modelling and thinking was applied to gain additional square footage of the outside perimeter wall. Located steps away from the lakefront, the project team drew inspiration from the ripples of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, as well as the Windy City moniker associated with Chicago. These elements will be integrated in the form of moving organic patterns and layering of varied textures.

The project is targeting a Two Green Globes rating for demonstrating significant achievement in resource efficiency, reducing environment impacts and improving occupant wellness. Sustainability elements are integral in the design and feature reglazing of the windows in the open atrium, a green roof space, more efficient chiller and HVAC system, and reuse of the existing electrical feed. The office to hotel conversion is a great example of adaptive reuse. It will bring human scale to an existing building and enhance the guest experience.