The redevelopment of Willis Tower sought to evolve the historic tower’s engagement with the public realm, creating spaces at the street level that invite and invigorate the pedestrian experience. This unique Chicago and American icon now host 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining, and entertainment space, redesigned perimeter streetscape, and a 30,000 square-foot public sky garden. This unique design provides Chicago residents and visitors new experiences to engage with the building incorporating human-scaled outdoor spaces and enriching a sense of community.

Work completed at OLIN while Derek Hoetmer was employed as a landscape architect.

©Tom Harris ©MCLV

LOCATION / Chicago, IL

CLIENT / Blackstone Group

DATE / 2016-2020

TEAM / Gensler, Thornton Tomasetti

PRESS

“Willis Tower owner seeks thousands of new visitors per day, as $500 million expansion takes shape,” Ryan Ori. Chicago Tribune. 18 September 2018.

“Willis Tower Transformation by Gensler,” James Gauer. Architectural Record. ArchitecturalRecord.com. 1 May 2022.