Through historically minded restoration and re-positioning, the long-vacant 2.8 million-square-foot Chicago Post Office is being brought back to life as a hub for business and commerce. Once the world’s largest post office, the redeveloped building will include Class A office space, restaurants, shops, entertainment and an expansive rooftop park designed by Hoerr Schaudt. We are teamed with Gensler, who is leading the building restoration that will be one of the largest adaptive reuse projects in Chicago. The development features world-class amenities, including the 2.7 acre rooftop garden, one of the largest in the city, that will serve as a neighborhood park for the building.
The roof garden is made possible by utilizing a specialized lightweight soil profile that enables the use of a richly textured planting palette with limited structural enhancements to the building. Other exterior amenities include a dining terrace, amphitheater, patios, sport courts, a running track, and gardens for tenants to enjoy. Many of the original elements of the art deco building are being preserved, and the design of the new spaces takes inspiration from the building’s history.