Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest commercial building and fine design Mecca, announced in the Spring of 2012 that all 17th and 18th floor showrooms would relocate to a new Design Center on the 14th and 15th floors. As part of this visionary relocation, Gary Lee Partners was selected to renovate the corridors and create a multifunctional lounge for the Design Center.

The corridor designs pay homage to the Mart’s classic Art Deco architecture while looking forward with a modern sensibility. The lighting is dramatic and very smoky and gray, placing the emphasis on the individual tenant and letting the halls be minimal. The look is born of ombre with gradations of gray and it creates a beautiful shopping experience.

The design of Lounge 1447 creates a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a meeting spot, lounge, office, and café where designers and visitors can relax, work, and entertain. This amenity center is the first of its kind in the country and offers an array of informational resources and services for both the design professional and the visitor, all created to make their visit to the Design Center more enjoyable. The Lounge is a vital new resource that can accommodate the professional design community’s need for special events, client meetings, business lunches, and leisure space.

In order to create an inviting environment, GLP designed a bright, open layout with designated seating areas. The state of the art facility is meant to accommodate special events, client meetings, business lunches, and leisure. Keeping with look of the newly designed 14th and 15th floor corridors, Lounge 1447 embodies the same sleek interiors with furnishings from Design Center showrooms including HOLLY HUNT, Bradley Hughes, David Sutherland and GLP’s namesake showroom, Atelier Gary Lee.