Lobby of Landmark That Once Towered Over All the World's Buildings Gets Dramatic Remake

The Wacker Drive entry to Willis Tower, the 110-story icon that once ruled the world in height when known as the Sears Tower, has been drastically transformed to give the 46-year-old building a crisp, energetic look with a distinctive art installation that reflects a new attitude toward workplace lobbies.

It’s a long overdue makeover that’s part of EQ Office’s $500 million sweeping renovation of a longtime Chicago paradigm of skyscraper architecture that had lost much of its luster with its outdated design and function.

Designed by Jacob Hashimoto, the new art installation is a roughly 16-by-42 hanging sculpture comprising 7,000 individual disks 9 inches in diameter, according to EQ Office, which is the U.S. office management arm of Willis Tower’s owner, New York private equity giant Blackstone Group.

Called “In the Heart of This Infinite Particle of Galactic Dust, 2019,” Hashimoto used varying lengths of string to create a “cloud-like, faceted mass” that appears to be “undulating through the space,” according to EQ Office’s description.

The disks, which resemble small, round kites, are illustrated with graphics printed on paper and then embedded into resin that allows light to permeate into the lobby, which is now considerably more tenant-friendly with comfortable seating.

"Office lobbies have historically been simply transitional spaces, and as tenant desires for workspaces have evolved, the purpose of the lobby has evolved as well," David Moore, portfolio director at EQ Office, said in a statement.

"We are transforming the Willis Tower lobbies to be interactive, energized spaces that inspire curiosity for tenants and set the tone for the rest of the workplace experience,” he said, adding that Hashimoto’s “dramatic work of art … will be a treasure for our building, a celebration of the city, and an embrace of the new neighborhood we've built at the tower."

The Wacker Drive lobby was a screaming example of an outdated, out-of-place design. Not original to the tower when it was built as Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s headquarters in 1973, the pavilion entry, dubbed the “lunchbox” because it resembled an old-school metal food container, was added in 1985. It was reminiscent of the style of the time with its oversized, curved-glass entry asymmetrical to the skyscraper’s straight setback design.

EQ Office has reopened the Wacker Drive lobby after more than a year under construction and is now moving on to the Adams Street lobby for redevelopment. Hashimoto’s art installation will be on permanent display and, unlike the old Wacker Drive lobby, is open to the public.