Navy Pier to open ‘country’s largest rooftop lounge’

A new year-round rooftop lounge, which will be the largest rooftop lounge in the country according to the project’s developer, is set to open this month atop Navy Pier. The 36,000-sf all-seasons/all-weather venue, dubbed Offshore, will be located on the third floor adjacent to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall at 1000 East Grand.

Offshore will feature a full-service luminous bar and kitchen, terraces, seven fire pits, an entertainment and gaming area, large gathering spaces, and views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.

Upon entering the lounge, guests will be greeted with a wall of cascading, colorful propellers flanked by two slate metal vintage series pool tables on either side. Floating globe lights will light the way through a corridor that leads to the 16-foot-tall, 8,500-sf indoor space. This space will contain the 100-foot, 60-stool bar. A barrel-vaulted roof and an operable glass enclosure conceals the entire indoor space and can fully retract to allow the lakeside breeze in.

The 20,000-sf outdoor terrace will feature communal tables lined with clusters of globe lighting, high top tables, and a 450-sf planter shaped like Chicago’s “Y” symbol, a nod to the Chicago river. The southeast end of the terrace has a stage for live entertainment that overlooks the city’s skyline while the group gaming and social gathering space will be located on two private lawns with sail shade canopies. Food offerings will be served as small, shareable plates and the bar will offer craft cocktails, wine, champagne, and local craft beer options.

ACRON Group is developing and building Offshore, along with The Sable at Navy Pier, a four-star hotel.

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.

Education Facilities | Jun 6, 2024

Studio Gang designs agricultural education center for the New York City Housing Authority

Earlier this month, the City of New York broke ground on the new $18.2 million Marlboro Agricultural Education Center (MAEC) at the New York City Housing Authority’s Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn. In line with the mission of its nonprofit operator, The Campaign Against Hunger, MAEC aims to strengthen food autonomy and security in underserved neighborhoods. MAEC will provide Marlboro Houses with diverse, community-oriented programs.