Whitney Architects, Chicago
RETROFIT TEAM
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Whitney Architects
MATERIALS
When Whitney Architects leadership decided to move their long-term headquarters to downtown Chicago, the firm required a space that exemplified its key brand values and the spatial solutions required of a bustling firm—an office that prioritized a design-forward, flexible activity-based work environment.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into the heart of the space—the work café, designed as a testament to the hospitality the firm extends to visitors and staff, as well as its client-focused approach. To help realize this brand value, the design team turned to Banker Wire’s M33-5—an architectural flat wire mesh pattern—within the café and bar space. The wire mesh, specified in an antique copper-plated finish, helps create an eclectic aesthetic when paired with the rich colors and layered textures in the room. The result is a space that is approachable, warm, and exudes a sense of home and belonging.
For the bar itself, the design team required a material with specific technical requirements—one that could be curved around the length of the front of the bar, where the bar stools are placed. The large surface area of each M33-5 wire—and the proportionate amount of open area—makes it a well-balanced weave, suitable for a wide range of design concepts and applications. In addition, the undulating wave-like appearance of each wire enables light to be reflected at all angles. When specified in this refined antique copper-plated finish, the end-result is simultaneously subtle and palpable.
“The pattern is unique and does not appear as your typical mesh design—it has a large- enough scale to have some presence but is not overwhelming when placed with the other design elements,” explains Kate Logan, design director, Whitney Architects. “The antique copper-plated finish works perfectly with the rest of our color and materials palette in this area of the office, providing a nice contrast to the dark green back- ground; the rest of the millwork; and the bright white, large-scale quartz countertops.”
M33-5 WIRE MANUFACTURER: Banker Wire
PHOTOS: Banker Wire