James R Thompson Center; Google's New HQ
Tech company Google and architecture studio Jahn have released visualizations of the planned revamp of the James R Thompson Center, an iconic postmodern-style building in Chicago's Downtown. Known as the Loop, the 1.2 million-square-foot Thompson Center was designed in the 1980s by local architect Helmut Jahn. It housed offices for the Illinois state government and connections for the Chicago Transit Authority. In August 2022, developer Prime/Capri Investments Group acquired the building which will reopen as Google’s new home in the Loop in 2026.
The Thompson Center is characterized by its iconic open atrium, designed to symbolize transparency and active involvement of the public in government affairs. " For the Thompson Center, we're working with the building's original architects to help bring the design into the 21st century while maintaining its iconic form," said Google. The developers on the project, The Prime Group carried out renovation works, installed a glass curtain, and kept the atrium as the monumental entrance. Some part of the atrium's ground and subterranean levels will remain open to the public.
The plans for the redesign retain the original rounded form and the 17-story atrium inside. However certain details of the facade are set to change, such as the red and beige paneling of the ground-level collanade. Its glass curtain wall will change, moving from the slightly darkened patterned glass of the original to a more uniform, sleek look. Google has also set ambitious sustainability goals for the structure, aiming for "carbon-free" operation by 2030.
References:
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