Through a $500 million investment, Willis Tower will be transformed and reinforced as a prime civic destination and the premier workplace with unprecedented office amenities, and unique retail and entertainment experiences in the city of Chicago. The transformation will be the first major renovation in the building’s 43-year history, creating a modernized Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.

The plan calls for more than 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and entertainment space to be added to the base of the building, and a new 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck and garden space.

 Blackstone and Equity Office’s vision for the new Willis Tower was brought to life by the Chicago office of Gensler. Hetzel Design has collaborated with Gensler on the podium exterior design, look and feel.

Our teams opted for a solution that is complimentary to the tower’s minimalist architecture, expressed through black steel moment frames, enhanced by transparency of the vast low-iron glazed retail and office facades, and vibrancy of large scale LED screens and nettings. Early explorations of fractal geometry and maximum transparency also enclosed.