Herman Miller inaugurates a 45,000 square-foot exhibition space on five floors at Fulton Market in Chicago.
After having been one of the reference spaces of the Merchandise Mart for 80 years with an exclusively commercial showroom, now the new space opens up to home sector and retail shop, bringing together the power of its growing family of eight brands under one roof.
A lively space in a lively neighborhood, undergoing a strong transformation.
It is a new chapter in a long history, an important step after the strategic change implemented last year by the Herman Miller Group: the new Chicago exhibition space expresses an increasingly fluid vision between home and office and gives life to new marketing and commercial strategies as well expressed by Andi Owen, Chief Executive Officer, Herman Miller Group.
“Today, more than ever, our customers are focused on creating useful places that matter. Our integrated approach blends home and work environments to respond not just to the needs of our core Architects & Designers customers, but also business leaders grappling with how to evolve their offices for tomorrow. Likewise, we’re also meeting the growing demands of consumers who now, perhaps more than ever, have a heightened need, awareness and appreciation of good design at home.”
The 45,000-square-foot location occupies an iconic 1920’s brick building with an adjoining five- story newbuild, complete with a rooftop and outdoor pavilion. Developed by Fulton St. Companies in close collaboration with Herman Miller’s design team.
The design of the showroom experience is aligned to the concepts and features outlined in the WELL Building Standard to reduce our environmental impact, implement sustainable policies and promote health and wellness of employees, clients and guests.”
The structure retains the original façade and seamlessly blends into the surrounding historic meatpacking corridor, turned tech hotspot.
And, following the example of the well-known Meat Packing District in New York, a strong and vital relaunch is also underway in this Chicago neighborhood.
“We’re thrilled to be one of the first retailers in this developing business and residential district within the city of Chicago.” Debbie Propst, President, Herman Miller Group Retail. “We’ve built a destination, and as the neighborhood evolves, we will continue to serve as a resource for the people who live and work nearby and look forward to helping them create a space that they’ll love to call home.”
“There is a lot of momentum in this neighborhood.As people continue to invest in living, working, and shopping in the West Loop, we saw an opportunity to be one of the first-movers and major anchors in the neighborhood. Whether a retail or trade customer, visiting a vibrant space in a vibrant neighborhood creates the kind of experience our customers crave.” confirmed Tim Straker, Chief Marketing Officer, Herman Miller Group.
A multi-brand, multi-use, five-story location.
At the ground floor, for the first time, shoppers will discover Herman Miller’s three, distinct retail brands – Design Within Reach, HAY and Herman Miller – side by side. From furnishings that multitask, accessories to enhance every moment and performance seating that increases productivity; each brand offers smart, well-designed solutions for how we live and work today.
On floors above, making it easier for local and visiting A&D customers to find inspiration across the company’s full portfolio of contract and residential brands.
On third floor, designers will enter the heart of the design center. Maharam Digital Projects’ Arche Noah by Sonnhild Kestler sets the backdrop for a lively, open lounge and meeting area – a space to gather, collaborate, engage and learn together.
Trade customers will experience the company’s signature human-centric approach with a positive and progressive outlook, which addresses re-entry into the workplace and new ways of working with a more distributed workforce, including solutions to reengage and rebuild a sense of community.
Here, designers will discover inspiration for ancillary spaces with an emphasis on furnishings for meeting, lounge, bistro and communal spaces, sprinkled with more private nooks for personal work and concentration throughout. Highlights include the debut of OE1, an agile, highly mobile modular workstation collection designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.
Adjacent to the Herman Miller Showroom on the third floor, the Eames Pavilion features a library, exhibition space and outdoor terrace, providing a platform for education, expression and open engagement.
A staircase leads down to a hardworking showroom on the second floor, where designers can compare a multitude of workstation options side-by-side and find product highlights from subsidiaries Colebrook Bosson Saunders and naughtone.
In contrast to the open plan of Herman Miller’s two-story showroom, Geiger presents private office solutions, including modular casegoods, fully customizable workstations and architectural furniture within the context of sleek glass partitions by Maars Living Walls.
Maharam showrooms designed by architect Neil Logan, the decidedly minimal interior features a central textile display on a white partitioned table, highlighting an evolving field of color, pattern and texture.
“Whether making production safer, setting a new standard in ergonomics, or finding ways to reduce our environmental impact, we always ask how we can make things better, and together we can,” said Straker. “This is reflected not only in the design elements of the space itself, but also the operations and policies that guide the experience within the space and demonstrates our commitment to the overall health and well-being of our employees, clients and guests.”
