Client:

John Hancock Properties/Shorenstein Realty

Architect:

Skidmore Owings & Merrill

Contractors:

The Brickman Group, Ltd., Otto Damgaard & Sons, Inc.

Category:

Design

Since its recently completed renovation, the John Hancock Building Plaza has become an after-hours gathering place and an anchor for the shopping district on the north end of Michigan Avenue. Enhanced by a popular Cheesecake Factory restaurant and a new lower plaza entrance to the John Hancock Observatory, the Plaza bustles throughout the day and night.

The design team was challenged to make the John Hancock Building Plaza one of the premier shopping and gathering places along North Michigan Avenue. A three-phased project, the renovation included developing a plan for the upper and lower plazas, reconstructing the east side of the main garage access, and designing new architectural and landscape-related security measures. Since the John Hancock Building is Chicago's second tallest building, the project demanded serious consideration of many classic urban environmental conditions such as wind, pollution, falling ice, changing sun/shade patterns, and post September 11 security.

The landscape architect was an integral part of the enhancement of the plaza with its larger retail spaces, water wall, grand staircases, a cafe overlook, and lighting. In addition, improvements to the upper plaza included newly rebuilt and enlarged planters, bollards, and landscaping.