Google is pumping new life into the Thompson Center with a renovation that includes retaining its lofty atrium and adding retail space. The tech giant plans to kick off a comprehensive floor-by-floor rehabilitation early next year, transforming a structure once on the brink of demolition into its new Chicago hub, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The 17-story Thompson Center's glass facade will get a facelift with a new exterior that aims to pump more natural light into the complex. The update is a sustainability play, with triple-paned glass providing better insulation and the promise to transition to an all-electric energy operation. Block Club Chicago reported that JAHN, the original architectural firm behind the Thompson Center's design, will have a hand in the redesign to ensure Helmut Jahn's vision endures.
The center's reimagining comes years after the building faced potential demolition due to its age, maintenance challenges, and a cooling and heating system that was far from adequate. Preservationists extolled the investment in the iconic postmodern edifice. Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, praised the plan, saying, "That's to be commended, and I think it’s wonderful the atrium is to be saved. My hat’s off to Google and the developers for taking on this project and committing to not demolishing the building and rethinking it as a corporate headquarters," the Chicago Tribune reported.
While changing the Thompson Center's face, Google plans to introduce covered terraces and a public plaza, while the ground level will be opened up to new retail and food and beverage vendors. This nod to the commercial could usher in a wave of revitalization for the Central Loop, a prospect many property owners are eagerly anticipating after the lull brought on by remote work trends. Still, some experts, like Joe Learner, Chicago-based chairman of North American brokerage for Savills, are skeptical about the potential multiplier effect on the older, denser neighborhood, per Block Club Chicago.
Google, which forked over $105 million for the Thompson Center from the state of Illinois last year, has not disclosed extensive plans for the building's interior or ultimate nomenclature. However, construction fencing will become a common sight around the center as work commences shortly, signaling the start of a multi-year redevelopment journey that will hopefully embody Chicago's architectural legacy and foster urban renewal.
