The Wit - Chicago

When Scott Greenberg, President and Co-Owner of ECD Company, purchased a site in the historic yet run-down district of State Street over five years ago, he was taking a calculated risk. Once the centre of Chicago’s buzzing nightlife in the 1930s-1950s, the State Street corridor has since fallen out of grace, with several of its famed theatres having to close down after years of neglect. The late 1990s saw the beginning of a turnabout in fortunes, however, when Mayor Daley backed a movement to pour fresh investment into the North Loop theatre district’s infrastructure and real estate. “I was dead set on acquiring this land,” recalls Greenberg. “It didn’t take much imagination to see the potential of an area destined to come back to life. The nightlife is returning but it’s just the beginning; in the next four to five years these streets will become really dynamic again.”

Since the acquisition, Greenberg has overseen the construction of a US$100 million plus flagship hotel, which opened for business in summer 2009 under Hilton’s Doubletree brand. He has drawn on the urban nature of the location – the corner of State and Lake, right next to the elevated section (Loop) of the city’s transit system – to create a vision for an iconic building that will contribute to the neighbourhood’s ongoing revitalization process. “On this hallowed ground, we wanted to construct something symbolic so we decided to embrace the urban setting and bring the exterior in,” he says.

Local architect Jackie Koo of Koo & Associates came onboard to design the 27-storey hotel on a plot with a restricted footprint of less than 10,000sq ft. Rather than rely on a traditional central core, she used an asymmetrical solution and cantilevered spaces to cleverly accommodate 298 rooms, three sizeable restaurants and a handful of other leisure facilities collectively measuring 250,000sq ft. In homage to the excitement of the district, she also came up with the concept of a lightning bolt – a fold of chartreuse-tinted glass reflecting the verticality of theatre signage – to act as a major feature on the building’s main facade. This, along with the installation of low iron glass for transparency in the lobby, engages pedestrians and enhances connectivity to the street.

Another major consideration for Koo was how to embrace the ‘L’ train. “If you look at the building opposite, this is a classic example of design that turns its back on the train,” Koo says. “Although noise and vibration were considerations, we wanted to visually engage with its movement, allowing it to become a kinetic sculpture for the hotel.” Working with consultants on an acoustic solution to deaden the rumble of the old train system, the architect has installed two different thicknesses of insulating glass that change the timbre of vibrations and stop them from being transmitted directly into guest rooms.

The neighbourhood’s characteristics also played an important role in the development of TheWit’s interior design by Cheryl Rowley. “We wanted to juxtapose industrial elements with over-the-top glamour of theatre,” she says. “The idea was to speak to the people of Chicago through our interiors and ensure they were eye-catching from street level.”

Exposed steel, concrete columns and a subway-like staircase connecting the ground floor to mezzanine level are softened by high-impact statement pieces in the lobby and library. A sleek mother-of-pearl front desk is offset by the addition of reflecting panels in a Sensitile product, which resembles thousands of tiny mirrors that refract light and create movement. Rowley explains she was thinking of the glitz of being on stage when selecting this product. Another focal point is the two acrylic chandeliers custom-designed by Rowley to mimic angel wings and manufactured by Lusive Décor. Suspended from the high lobby ceiling, they are lit from central columns to emit a show-like glow. Luxurious mohairs, velvets and brocades in a rich palette of gold, black and taupe have been chosen for the lobby furniture, with fuchsia lending a strong flash of colour to the library carpet. Images of famous ‘wits’ including Oscar Wilde and Bill Murray line up to form the library’s bookshelf display. Adorning the mezzanine wall, a mural by graphic artist Lisa Alisa evokes a sense of tribalism with its tattoo-like qualities and is symbolic of the area’s comeback – a new take on the ‘phoenix rising from the ashes’.

Stencil-design carpeting, pools of lighting and mirrored elevator walls maintain the drama as guests journey to their rooms. But then the palette is toned down, perhaps because the hotel is aiming to cater for families, young couples and businesspeople alike. “There are elements of playfulness, such as textile artwork over the headboards, but generally we wanted to provide retreat and serenity,” Rowley adds. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, as are bathrooms decked out in porcelain tile and elegant CaesarStone countertops, but the overall effect is a little underwhelming.

Any comprehensive review of TheWit must also include mention of the three distinctive restaurants operated by Atlanta-based Concentrics and designed by The Johnson Studio. With direct entry points to the street, these venues have proved popular with the city’s trendsetters, particularly the ROOF destination lounge on the 27th floor that serves up stunning views in a New York meets Midwest design scheme. The stacked blue-green glass wall that greets guests acts as the basis of the colour palette for this party space, which also matches charcoal grey tones with cream and aqua accents for a sultry effect. Interior seating areas include a backlit bar, cream stone fireplace and tufted settees while outdoor patio seating options range from four large fire pits to a square glass box that ‘floats’ precariously above the city.

Cibo Matto, meanwhile, the hotel’s high-end Italian restaurant benefits from a central bank of luxe leather banquettes from which to gaze up and view the large ceiling fresco designed by renowned artist Todd Murphy. Other standout elements include a backlit woven wall, antique wood flooring, glittering wine room and Chef’s Table. In contrast the more casual State & Lake on ground floor has a gastro-pub feel with its leather wall panels, cork flooring, warm textures and bar with glowing antique seltzer bottles. Connecting the two main restaurants, a sparkling grand staircase decorated with glass pendants captures the eye.

Such vibrant design is matched by a vivacious ‘Whatever it takes’ attitude towards service. Add desirable facilities such as an urban spa and screening room into the mix, and it becomes clear why this young hotel has already established itself as a city landmark.