It isn’t always easy to bring natural light to the interior of indoor shopping centers. While the recent ESI Design-led renovation of 900 North Michigan Shops on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile didn’t open up the roof directly to the outdoors, it did provide the next best option: a ten section digital installation that mimics the outside sky.
Visible from all floors, the display can show flocks of 3D-animated birds flying overhead, colorful trees sway in a light breeze, or just the brilliant blue sky of a summer afternoon. Some of the content was filmed at 16K resolution with state-of-the-art cameras in order to appear as real as possible on the ultra-high definition LED screens.
The animated birds, Cedar Waxwings to be precise, will never fly the same way twice thanks to incorporated algorithmic rules based on flocking behaviors and the background sunlight and sky will adapt automatically to the current time of day. The ceiling displays can also be used as a showcase for branded content, seasonal content, products, promotions, and special events.
“The new design that includes a digital canopy is unlike anything that’s ever been installed in a mall,” says Edwin Schlossberg, President and Principal Designer at ESI Design, in a release.
The renovation also includes better signage and wayfinding strategies. Each store’s visibility has been increased due to illuminated signs that feature retailer names and are placed directly in front of each store facing out into the atrium.
A new 37.5-foot-tall bronze threshold entry has also been added. The new entry features a refreshed glass curtain that helps the shopping center stand out on the north end of the Magnificent Mile. The new entry walls are covered with white laminated glass panels that showcase the names of retailers and the ‘900’ brand identity is communicated at the top of the building façade and repeated at the pedestrian eye level below.
The renovation acts as phase two of a larger renovation project to improve the visitor experience at 900 North Michigan Shops.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Mar 12, 2015
Foster and Partners designs 'The One' in Toronto
Developer Sam Mizrahi worked with Foster and Partners and Core Architects to design Toronto's tallest skyscraper aside from the CN Tower, The One, which will house a luxury shopping mall and condos.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
Sponsored | Shopping Centers | Feb 26, 2015
A color-changing gateway for Altara Center
Valspar works with developers to complete a multicolored shopping center façade in Honduras.
Office Buildings | Feb 18, 2015
Commercial real estate developers optimistic, but concerned about taxes, jobs outlook
The outlook for the commercial real estate industry remains strong despite growing concerns over sluggish job creation and higher taxes, according to a new survey of commercial real estate professionals by NAIOP.
Modular Building | Feb 12, 2015
New shipping container complex begins construction in Albuquerque
The Green Jeans Farmery already has a hydroponic farm component courtesy of owner and entrepreneur Roy Solomon.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 29, 2014
New data-gathering tool for retail designers [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
Beacon technology personalizes smartphone messaging, creating a new information resource for store designers. It was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 28, 2014
7 fresh retail design strategies
Generic ‘boxes’ and indifferent service won’t cut it with today’s savvy shoppers. Retailers are seeking a technology-rich-but-handmade vibe, plus greater speed to market and adaptability.
| Dec 8, 2014
How brick and mortar enables online retail
According to a shopping preferences study conducted by A.T. Kearney, as many as two-thirds of shoppers go to a physical store before or after making an online purchase, writes Gensler's Jill Nickels.
