Building Merchandise Mart

1 building

1.1 architecture
1.2 artwork
1.3 surroundings
1.4 exterior lighting
1.5 green building practices

building

from chicago river, looking west



the sign on building

the merchandise mart designed chicago architectural firm of graham, anderson, probst , white city within city . second holabird & root in chicago art deco architecture, firm had long-standing relationship field family. started in 1928, completed in 1931, , built in same art deco style chicago board of trade building, cost reported both $32 million , $38 million. building largest in world in terms of floorspace, surpassed pentagon in 1943, , stands forty-fourth on list of largest buildings in world. once largest commercial space in world, new century global center in china recognized guinness world records holding record.

architecture

designer alfred shaw integrated art deco stylings influences 3 building types—the warehouse, department store , skyscraper. warehouse block stands 18-story bulk of building. ribbon piers define windows, , building s chamfered corners, minimal setbacks, , corner pavilions disguise edges of mass , visually reduce bulk. south corner pavilions of greater height north corner pavilions. building open @ pedestrian level bronzed framed display windows, typical of department store, on south, west , east boundaries. 25-story central tower ascends peak in form of skyscraper, , rests in southern half of building. recessed portals occur between raised panels, , adorned medallions featuring interlocked initials of merchandise mart. same logo occurs throughout building. fifty 6 american indian chiefs circled tower s crown, reference site s history , chicago s trade activities. 3 , half feet wide 7 feet tall, terra cotta figures barely visible street, meant viewed upper floors of skyscrapers planned rise along riverbank.

the lobby of merchandise mart defined 8 square marble piers, storefronts in side aisles framed in embossed bronze trim. green , orange terrazzo floor conceived carpet: pattern of squares , stripes bordered overscaled chevrons inlaid mart s initials. chevron theme continued in column sconces lighting ornamented cornice overhead. referred business boulevards , 2 wide 650 feet (200 m) long corridors terrazzo floors in upper levels featured 6 , one-half miles of display windows. building regulations specified identical entrances along corridors tenants personalize individual floor space. excepting corridors, elevator halls, , exhibition space on fourth floor, 5 acres (20,000 m) of each upper floor raw space concrete floors.

artwork

jules guerin s frieze of 17 murals primary feature of lobby , graphically illustrate commerce throughout world, including countries of origin items sold in building. murals depict industries , products, primary mode of transportation , architecture of 14 countries. drawing on years stage set designer, guerin executed murals in red gold leaf using techniques producing distinct image layers in successive planes. in panel representing italy, venetian glassware appears in foreground fishing boats moored on grand canal , facade of palazzo ducale rises above towers of piazza san marco.

immortalize outstanding american merchants , joseph kennedy in 1953 commissioned 8 bronze busts, 4 times life size, come known merchandise mart hall of fame:

retail magnates frank winfield woolworth, marshall field , aaron montgomery ward
julius rosenwald , robert elkington wood of sears, roebuck , company fame
advertiser john wanamaker, merchandiser edward albert filene, , a&p grocery chain founder george huntington hartford.

all of busts rest on white pedestals lining chicago river , face north toward gold front door of building.

surroundings

plaza in front of merchandise mart

dominating skyline in south end of near north side, mart lies south of gallery district on southern terminus of franklin street. eateries , nightclubs abound on hubbard street 1 block north. kinzie chophouse, popular politicians , celebrities, stands on northwest corner of wells , kinzie, across merchandise mart. chicago varnish company building, listed on national register of historic places , housing harry caray s restaurant, located east on kinzie street. across street east 325 n. wells street, home chicago school of professional psychology , dirtt environmental solutions.

the mart not rectangular in shape due being constructed after bascule bridges on chicago river. control house double decked wells street bridge stands between lower level , southeast corner of building. franklin street bridge stands @ southwest corner of building, @ junction of orleans street , franklin street. building slants @ same angle franklin street, southeast northwest along orleans street.

exterior lighting

a heritage of lighting structure finds central , corner towers, along columns between each window on setbacks, bathed nightly in upwardly focused white light. tradition dictates annual changes green in mid-march st. patrick s day , orange during fall months around halloween , thanksgiving. prominent events have found behemoth lit in pink cancer awareness month. note 2006 chicago bears season, highlighted reaching super bowl xli, building lit team colors, orange floodlights setbacks , blue floodlights towers. red , green lights used during christmas season. during art chicago 2008 american artist jenny holzer illuminated facade of building poem polish winner of nobel prize in literature wisława szymborska. in 2018, large projection screen begin displaying images , videos across structure s riverfront side.

nighttime lighting on mart typically matches colors of antenna lighting on sears tower , john hancock center, colors used on top floors of aon center.

green building practices

under chris kennedy s leadership of mart, largest building in world awarded leed (leadership in energy , environmental design) certification in 2007 united states green building council (usgbc). mart has long been implementing sustainable practices. mart center began operating thermal storage facility in 1986, capable of building 2,000,000 pounds (910,000 kg) of ice per night, cooling 71 buildings in surrounding neighborhood, , saving $200,000 in electricity costs in first year.

in 1990, mart center began using green seal-approved green cleaning products , next year implemented recycling program, today includes forms of paper products, glass, light bulbs, batteries, aluminum , construction materials. in 1996, mart center became 1 of first major property owners in downtown chicago enter agreement district cooling system known thermal chicago, contributing national effort reduce discharge of ozone-damaging cfcs.

in 2006, mmpi joined clean air counts, voluntary initiative reduce smog forming pollutants , energy consumption in chicago area. part of campaign strategies included utilizing low voc cleaning products, paints , building materials, energy efficient lighting , alternative workplace transportation options. date, mart center has reduced pollution 264,018 pounds (119,757 kg), largest reduction commercial building.

that same year, mart center recycling program saved on 13,000 trees , recycled 11 million pounds of waste, while water conservation efforts saved 5.5 million gallons (21,000 m) of water. more 8 percent of estimated 10,000 people working @ mart walk, bike or take public transportation; encourage greener methods of transportation, mart expanded bicycle storage capacity more 200. in 2009, mmpi converted stationery 1 hundred percent post-consumer recycled product.

the mart has 9 leed-certified showrooms, 5 others on way leed certification.