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Chicago Residence

A new city home designed to bring family together.

The five-story, 13,000 square foot residence spans across two city lots and is clad in Black Swell granite, selected for its striking veining and visual texture which creates a sense of depth and movement, in contrast to the neighboring traditional brick and limestone facades.

The home turns inward, with spaces organized around a central staircase which ascends like a steel ribbon through the house. Single and double-height volumes intersect to create a sense of openness and connection between floors and to three landscaped terraces and also brings daylight deep into the residence.

The first floor is primarily for entertaining, with a media room, half-scale basketball court, and exercise room. The second floor is three guest bedrooms, house office, and a sitting room overlooking the entry hall below with an exterior garden built on the roof of the garage. The third floor is the main living space, including kitchen, dining, living and family rooms which extend out to generous landscaped terraces, creating a relationship between inside and outside. The fourth floor is the primary bedroom suite and the fifth a small pop-up with an office and a spa space, which open onto an exterior terrace designed as a calming Japanese-inspired garden.

Materials such as travertine, walnut, and bronze provide warmth and texture. An organic cast bronze Molenschot light fixture was commissioned to hang as a ‘cloud’ over the main double-height living space. In the primary bedroom, a David Wiseman plaster and porcelain ceiling installation creates a garden-like natural canopy of branches and softly lit porcelain magnolia blossoms. Additionally, the art collection includes articles from Ellsworth Kelly, Damien Hurst, Jaume Plensa, Julian Opie, James Nares, Ori Gerscht, Allen McCullom, and Harry Bertoia.

Photography: Richard Powers
Interiors: Kadlec Architecture + Design
General Contractor: Power Construction
Lighting Design: Lux Populi
Landscape Architect: McKay Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
MEP Engineer: ESD