PHOTO COURTESY EQ OFFICE
If you haven’t been to Willis Tower in a few years, this iconic piece of the Chicago skyline looks very different. The 110-story building has been undergoing a $500 million-plus redevelopment since 2018, with changes including the addition of Catalog (a dining, entertainment and community area) as well as meeting and event space, restaurants (including Tortazo by Rick Bayless), an outdoor terrace and garden, and a soaring skylight.
The most recent addition? Atmospheric Wave Wall by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson (top), a public art installation that captures shifting sunlight on the street level of the tower along Jackson Boulevard. “The design creates a new relationship between building and streetscape, drives community and connection, and engages visitors in an experience truly unique to Chicago,” says Todd Heiser, managing director at Gensler Chicago, the architect behind the transformation.
