RENDERING COURTESY CHIEF CHICAGO
Here’s hoping 2021 will lead to days of working outside of our homes again—and women leaders in Chicago have a new option in Chief.
Going beyond a typical coworking space, this exclusive club opened last fall (also with locations in New York and Los Angeles) is designed to help female executives connect and support other women leaders. Applicants must be C-level or a rising VP in their company to be accepted.
Such a high-caliber group demands a high-caliber design, which is what New York-based firm AvroKO delivered. “Chief members have access to plentiful office space between traditional offices at their companies and homes, so Chief Chicago is intended to be an alternative—an impressive and bold space to foster connections with other members, bring teams and guests for meetings, and pop in for the programming and notable female speakers,” says Kristina O’Neal, AvroKO cofounder and principal.
Among the spaces: A lounge with various creative hubs and break-out areas, meeting rooms, private call rooms with cozy seating, and a mothers’ room. Complementing Chief Chicago’s West Loop location, the design features large, factory-style windows, exposed mechanical fasteners and timber ceilings, yet is a departure from other industrial Fulton Market buildings with touches like floor-to-ceiling saturated colors and plush, oversize seating.
Unique details such as banquettes for 12 around a wood column, a custom chandelier above the bar, and drawings and paintings by female artists inspire a sense of creativity. While the design of each of the three locations of Chief so far is varied, they’re unified by the signature deep-green paint—a color associated with growth, energy and calm, things we could all use more of right now.
