Jahn/

"1000M is a tower that changes on each side and looks different from various locations in the city. But it’s not in your face. It is subtle in a way that buildings this large generally are not. There’s a lot going on, but it remains relatively quiet. The careful attention to detail and the way in which each piece offers a bit more texture make it a true 21st century descendent of the 20th century master Mies."

We are grateful for Edward Keegan's thoughtful portrait of 1000M in the Chicago Tribune. Read more: https://buff.ly/4g1PTpH

🏙️: 1000M Chicago
🏗️: McHugh Construction / McHugh Concrete Construction, Inc.
💼: JK Equities / Time Equities, Inc. / Oak Capitals, LLC
📸: Tom Rossiter

The Pritzker Military Archives Center in Somers, Wisconsin, has been awarded an International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Now in its 19th year, this prestigious program honors the world's most innovative designs.

Our project was selected by an international jury from more than 850 entries. Jahn is honored to have been recognized for our design leadership alongside so many of our distinguished colleagues.

📸: Tom Rossiter

Jahn is honored to have had three projects selected as finalists in AIA Chicago’s Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards, presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center. Now through Wednesday, August 28, help us out by casting your votes for the following projects at https://buff.ly/3X1it2V

1️⃣ EDEN (Tall Building category)
2️⃣ MesseTurm Repositioning (Retail & Hospitality category)
3️⃣ Pritzker Military Archives Center (Cultural category)

Be sure to mark your calendar for Designight 2024, happening on Thursday, September 5, 2024, as we celebrate this award and find out if we have won! All are welcome to attend this two-part event, held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace in Millennium Park. More information and tickets can be found at https://buff.ly/4fMRvDx

Dezeen recently sat down with Jahn's Philip Castillo, FAIA, to discuss the design evolution of 1000M, including the idea behind its iconic slope. Opened last month, the building is among the newest additions to Chicago’s skyline, marking the south end of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District.

Read more: https://buff.ly/4cWLBOt

📸: Tom Rossiter

We are honored to be collaborating with renowned sculptor Alice Aycock to realize her vision for a one-of-a-kind pavilion for Art Omi, a New York-based arts organization. Her design carefully blends art and nature, featuring a large glass roof designed to flood an interior studio space with natural light and reflect the sky. Sloping downward, the structure will seamlessly merge with the surrounding landscape. Trees will twist through strategically placed apertures, giving the appearance of the pavilion organically emerging from the ground. Inside, 5,000 square feet of exhibition space will showcase Aycock's remarkable sculptures.

Our collaboration is one of 18 innovative pavilions, each designed in partnership with artists and collectors, that will eventually form the Art Omi Pavilions at Chatham in New York. Set across 190 acres, these pavilions will offer visitors an immersive experience, allowing them to explore distinct exhibitions curated by some of the world's most distinguished artists and collectors.

This is not the first time we've worked together with Aycock. Her sculpture, Thunderdome (2018), greets visitors in the lobby of 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, a Jahn building.

Read more via The Architect's Newspaper: https://buff.ly/4cYq8UQ

📸: Courtesy of Alice Aycock

The red, white, and blue of the James R. Thompson Center resonates with the celebration of liberty and freedom that we celebrate today.

Happy Fourth of July!

📷: Rainer Viertlböck

Last week, a few of our colleagues at Jahn teamed up with AIA Milwaukee and AIA Chicago to explore the grounds of the recently unveiled Pritzker Military Archives Center in Somers, Wisconsin.

During the visit, Jahn's Philip Castillo, John Ruffolo, and Graham Bowman toured AIA members around the center's expansive 9,400-square-foot gallery space and surrounding landscape. They discussed the programming impacts on building envelopes, including temperature, humidity, and water control for below-grade archives. Other topics of interest included the efficiency of modular building systems, design thinking behind the expressive steel structure, and how the building integrates with its rural setting through site design and landscaping features.

Thank you to our partners at AIA Milwaukee and AIA Chicago for the opportunity.

📸 Emily Neal & Andrew Rexrode

9 years in the making, 1000M held its grand opening last week. The building stands as a testament to exceptional design, engineering, and ex*****on, expressing our firm’s belief that perfection can only be achieved when nothing can be taken away.

Jahn is proud of the collaborative team that made this remarkable addition to Chicago’s lakefront skyline possible. We extend our deepest gratitude to our clients, Time Equities, JK Equities, and Oak Capitals, for entrusting us with this monumental project — the tallest building in Jahn’s Chicago portfolio. We are also grateful to our partners on the project, who made achieving this project possible: Kara Mann, McHugh Construction, McHugh Concrete, and countless others.

Read more about the project:
https://buff.ly/3XyeJqy

📸: (1) Tom Rossiter, (2-3) Loggy Media

Two of our firm’s leaders, Evan Jahn and Philip Castillo, were named to Newcity Design’s Design 50 2024, an annual list highlighting the continual evolution within Chicago’s design community through the creators of our city’s cultural scene.

Writing about Jahn for the magazine, contributor Mary Wisniewski says, “The firm is used to big projects.” She points to the reconstruction of the James R. Thompson Center — a “favorite attraction for pedestrians in downtown Chicago this spring” — and highlights some of the design features and energy efficiency upgrades that the building will introduce.

Congratulations to our fellow class of Design 50 honorees. Read more and see the full list: https://buff.ly/3VfJ76b

📸: Joseph A. Mietus / Newcity

This weekend, Jahn joined our client, local leaders, and community members to celebrate the opening of the Pritzker Military Archives Center in Somers, Wisconsin.

The new facility consolidates the archival, restoration, and library mission of the museum into one facility, featuring an expansive gallery center where visitors can immerse themselves in military history. Inspired by the shape of World War II-era landing craft, the building’s exposed steel-frame structure is bright red—the color of courage.

Jahn is proud to have been part of the collaborative team that brought our client’s vision for the Pritzker Military Archives Center to life. This Memorial Day, we commit ourselves to furthering the center’s mission of learning from past conflicts so we can help prevent future ones. Please join us in remembrance of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

📸: Final image in the series by Tom Rossiter

We’re honored to have joined our client, JK Equities, for two recent tours of 1000M, which began welcoming its first residents this May. Thank you to the Chicago Architecture Center board of directors and the members of ULI Chicago for inviting us to share our design with you.

📸: Tour photos courtesy of Chicago Architecture Center

Jahn is proud to celebrate the beginning of construction on the James. R. Thompson Center. The redevelopment of this iconic building into Google’s new Chicago offices builds upon Jahn’s original vision for “a building for the future,” in which urban responsibility, technological achievement, and a commitment to sustainability are at the forefront.

Pictured is a piece of glass from the original building, signed by members of our team who are working on the redevelopment project.

Jahn was honored to join our partners from O2 Design at the WI ASLA awards event last month, where the Pritzker Military Archives Center received the Honor Award for landscape design in the General Large Scale Design category.

The project’s landscape emphasizes ecological restoration, sustainability, and community benefits. It restores pre-settlement ecological habitat, incorporates stormwater collection, and offers public amenities like trails and event spaces. Reflecting military values, the site features a circular rampart with the museum at its center. Linear pathways and tree-lined boulevards overlay this pattern, paying homage to military order and discipline.

The studio had a fun evening participating in AIA Chicago's annual Guess-A-Sketch yesterday, raising money for the AIA Chicago Foundation to support scholarships and programs.

Attending the inaugural event in 2023 as spectators, we were motivated to compete this year in the friendly studio versus studio format. Our team of four, led by Sean Riley and also including Lucie Rigaldies, Nebojsa Stanic, and Tobias Dold, represented the firm well but unfortunately fell in the semi-finals to the eventual winner (and our building mate) Perkins&Will in a tight 3-2 battle. It will be a long year to wait for a rematch, but we will come back with a better performance in 2025!

Can you guess these sketches? Let us know in the comments!

Our own Lynda Dossey, AIA, was a featured speaker at this week's Zak World of Façades conference in Chicago. Contributing her expertise in architecture and design, Lynda spoke about our firm's approach to the façade at 1000M, which evolved as the project transitioned through various stages.

At Jahn, we recognize that architecture is influenced by both visible and intangible forces. 1000M is a great example of how our team's collaboration and problem-solving are shaping tomorrow's skylines.

📸: Brent Schmidt / Bricks Inc.

What do "Oppenheimer," the 2024 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, and the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library have in common? Long before the library was built, the site was home to the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field — and a first in the history of nuclear physics. From the UChicago Arts blog:

On December 2nd, 1942, a team of scientists led by Italian émigré Enrico Fermi set the world's first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in motion at Chicago Pile 1 (cp1), the world's first artificial nuclear reactor built under the original site of the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field. The event was a decisive step toward the creation of the age of atomic energy, and critically, at the time, to the production of the atomic bomb for use in World War II. Exactly twenty-five years later, on December 2nd, 1967, the sculpture Nuclear Energy was unveiled as a memorial to the accomplishments of Fermi and his fellow physicists.

The twelve-foot-tall bronze sculpture was commissioned by the University of Chicago and created by British artist Henry Moore, one of the most preeminent public sculptors of his generation. Moore designed, modeled, and cast the sculpture between 1963 and 1967—in Moore's mind, it was both a celebration of this incredible human achievement, and also a warning against the dangers of harnessing such natural, physical power.

In a commentary on the work, he said: “Like anything that is powerful, it has a power for good and evil...the lower part [of the sculpture] is more architectural and in my mind has the kind of interior of a cathedral with sort of a hopefulness for mankind.”

📸: Tom Rossiter

We are proud to share that the Pritzker Military Archives Center, located in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, was recently recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies with two awards: the Honor Award for Building/Technology Systems and the Judge’s Award for Building/Technology Systems. Congratulations to our partners at Terra Engineering, the project's civil consultants, for this achievement.

The project underscores Jahn's commitment to collaboration across architecture and engineering, which has defined our legacy since the beginning.

For more information about the Pritzker Military Archives Center, visit https://buff.ly/49K8NxR.

📸: Tom Rossiter

Scott Seyer, AIA, LEED AP, has joined Jahn as a managing director, returning to the firm where he started his career. He brings to Jahn more than 28 years of professional experience designing large-scale projects around the globe, including high-profile office projects, multi-family, mixed-use developments, and higher education buildings.

Through this role, Seyer will be part of the collaborative leadership team responsible for leading the firm’s domestic and international growth. This includes expanding on Jahn’s recent projects like 1000M, a luxury high-rise residential building in Chicago’s South Loop; the reimagining of the James R. Thompson Center as Google’s Chicago offices; the Pritzker Military Archives Center, an archives facility and exhibit center in Sturtevant, Wisconsin; and Eden Tower, a 98-meter-tall apartment building in Frankfurt, Germany.

Seyer’s design philosophy is based on creating context-driven design solutions that are innovative yet rooted in efficient and pragmatic ideas. He spent his early career at Murphy/Jahn working on such notable projects as the Sony Center in Berlin, Germany; Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand; and the Shure Corporate Headquarters in Niles, Illinois. In addition, Seyer worked closely with Jahn’s founder, Helmut Jahn, FAIA, on several competitions and overseas projects during his time.

“It’s every developer’s dream, more area on the upper floors than on the bottom."

Philip Castillo, FAIA, recently sat down with Crain's Chicago Business to discuss Jahn's work on 1000M. Read his interview via the link in our bio.

🏙️: 1000M Chicago
🏗️: McHugh Construction / McHugh Concrete
💼: JK Equities / Time Equities / Oak Capitals, LLC
📸: Jordan Karlik, courtesy of JK Equities

We’re proud to share that Jahn’s own Lynda Dossey, AIA, has begun her term as 2024 president of the board of directors of AIA Chicago. In addition to managing high-rise, community buildings, and urban streetscapes at Jahn, she has been an adjunct professor at IIT and frequently volunteers her time to mentor young architecture students.

Congratulations, Lynda!

As we step into 2024, we wish you a year of creative inspiration, new horizons, and enduring designs. Happy New Year — from all of us at Jahn.

As the original architects of the James R. Thompson Center, Jahn is proud to be part of the team that is bringing the building’s design into the 21st century while maintaining its iconic form.

A first look at the plans for our new Chicago office We’re sharing a first look at plans for our new office, the redeveloped James R. Thompson Center in Chicago’s Loop.

We're proud to share that the Pritzker Military Archives Center in Summers, Wisconsin was recently awarded Engineering News-Record (ENR) Midwest's Best Project award in the Cultural/Worship category. Designed by Jahn, the center furthers the mission of Chicago's Pritzker Military Museum & Library through the restoration, preservation, and storage of its collection.

We were honored to accept the award alongside our partners at TAWANI Enterprises, Inc., Pepper Construction Group, and DACCORD. Thank you to ENR for the recognition.

Our team spent some time in Frankfurt in recent weeks, where we sat down with local press to discuss our work on Eden Tower, a 98-meter high-rise apartment building at the edge of Frankfurt’s Europaviertel. The project features one of Europe’s tallest exterior green wall systems, which runs the full height of the façade.

In the interview, Jahn's Steve Cook discusses the challenges and impacts of integrating greenery into the urban fabric of Frankfurt, and how the design balances concerns like maintenance, irrigation, and fire safety. Green buildings like Eden Tower play a critical role in reducing the urban heat island effect and fostering a connection with nature for residents.

Read more: https://buff.ly/3QKLwo8

Our team recently took a field trip to view construction progress at 1000M. Glazing is now complete, and the views from the top are spectacular.

We're proud to be part of the team that's bringing this new project to Chicago's South Loop, where the building is already making its mark on the city's growing skyline.

🏙️: 1000M Chicago
🏗️: McHugh Construction / McHugh Concrete
💼: JK Equities / Time Equities Inc. / Oak Capitals, LLC

The native landscape has taken root at the Pritzker Military Archives Center, where the goal from the start has been maximizing green space preservation. Of the site's 3,000 acres, only 7% of the total area has been allocated for buildings, ensuring the surrounding wetlands remain untouched. The communal green space offers 51,800 square feet of walking and biking trails and picnic spots. Meanwhile, rainwater harvesting sustains the expansive Memorial Park landscape, while a solar field, generating 50,561 kWh, powers the entire site.

Jahn recently attended a media preview at the center in Somers, Wisconsin, touring the site with Col. Jennifer Pritzker and other representatives of the Pritzker Military Archives Center. During the event, we shared our thoughts on the center's design and how it reflects Jahn's ethos and commitment to sustainability.

Read more: https://buff.ly/3RWevX8

📸: Tom Rossiter

The development of Campus Ohlauer Straße is progressing, representing a significant stride in offering modern, affordable housing in Berlin's Kreuzberg district. The entire perforated metal facade, including the curved portions of the parapet, is now in place. Although landscaping remains to be completed, the scale of the interior courtyards is becoming more evident every day, fostering connections among residents and enhancing the proximity to surrounding green spaces. Meanwhile, initial growth is visible on the green roof, and mounts for solar panels have been installed.

Occupancy is expected to begin later this winter.

A new Sony Center is rapidly taking shape in Berlin. Relaunching in 2024 as the Center Potsdamer Platz, the new development features the transformation of the former IMAX, pictured here, into a state-of-the-art spec office space. Spanning the third and fourth levels, you'll find a social stair linking spaces for better communication, along with a ground-level food hall from London-based KERB.

Jahn's design seamlessly integrates with a ring of landscaping at the building's edges, marrying the visual interest of forum spaces with the serene, biophilic benefits of nature.

Today we land in Munich, Germany: a city boasting a notable collection of Jahn projects. Starting at the Munich Airport Center, we make our way through soaring canopies, a multi-functional assembly hall, and high-tech towers. Standing less than 35 km apart, this five-stop road trip is achievable in a single day and features some of Munich's most striking symbols of innovation and luxury.

1/ Munich Airport Center
2/ Hilton Munich Airport Hotel
3/ Munich Order Center
4/ Skyline Tower
5/ Highlight Towers