Built during the height of the Jazz Age, the 475,000 sf Shoreland was long one of Chicago’s most glamorous hotels, drawing famous and infamous guests with its opulent interior and proximity to Lake Michigan. Studio Gang’s renovation and restoration of the building transforms the Shoreland into a residential tower with renewed beauty and status, as well as full capacity to meet contemporary residents’ needs.
Along with reconfiguring and upgrading the building’s 13 floors to include 330 apartment units, Studio Gang’s design also reactivates the Shoreland’s public areas, creating exciting spaces for events and dining while preserving residents’ privacy. The lobby and mezzanine are reconnected and the circulation between them is clarified with a new grand staircase that leads ballroom guests to the second floor. On the exterior, low plantings replace trees to open the building to the street at ground level. Outdoor terraces for public use as well as balconies for residents bring life to the building’s third floor.