Northern Trust Canal Center

Chicago, Illinois (South Loop)


Eckenhoff Saunders was the architect for the award-winning Northern Trust Canal Center located at 801 S. Canal, completed in 1990. Nicholson, Porter & List (Now NAI Hiffman) retained Eckenhoff Saunders to develop plans for the property to determine its viability as a retail destination. The building design maximizes interior flexibility through large floor plates (over 100,000 sf), large bay sizes, multiple stairs and elevator cores, and a raised accessed floor throughout the building. Canal Street, near Roosevelt Road, is quickly becoming a retail destination due to the nearby Old Post Office redevelopment. Canal Center is well-positioned to take advantage of this.

The 113,000 sf level just above the street can be easily accessed by glass escalator lobbies feeding into a mall-like environment for big box outlets and food court venues capitalizing on the existing outdoor terraces facing east towards the river. Eckenhoff Saunders determined that separating office tenants from the retail flow would be relatively easy. In addition, convenient indoor parking, an exceptional service elevator, and truck dock access are already in place. Eckenhoff Saunders recommended removing precast panels and replacing them with glass storefronts to maximize street visibility, helping to draw people in passing by.

Credits:

Client: NAI Hiffman