Chicago’s theMART Kicks Off New 2022 Design and Programming to Inspire and Engage Creative Professionals
“Design at theMART” Programming & Event Series, theMART 2.0 Renovations, & More in the Works for 2022.
Chicago, IL – theMART is pleased to announce big plans for the iconic national headquarters for the best in design. It all begins with the launch of Design at theMART programming featuring dynamic and engaging events, training sessions, and activations created to inspire and educate residential and commercial design professionals year-round. This expansive program comes as new design brands establish showrooms and existing tenants invest in expanded spaces. It also coincides with the kick-off of theMART 2.0, an amenity-rich renovation project designed by Gensler Chicago.
Design at theMART programming will feature an ongoing series of onsite events that will celebrate and showcase the building’s rich design resources and draw a wide cross-section of commercial and residential designers and architects and end-users. The action will take place across 1.2 million square feet of design showrooms at theMART including three floors of commercial showrooms, an emporium for custom home furnishings and interior design offerings as well as the world’s largest collection of premier kitchens, bath and building product boutiques under one roof.
Programming starts on February 24th, in conjunction with Black History Month with a panel discussion co-hosted by Sandow Media Group called “Building What Matters: What Justice, Equity & Inclusion Look Like in Practice,” and continues March 21-22 with i+s’s Design Connections event series. Events are being planned throughout the year across a wide spectrum of timely topics.
These recent developments underscore theMART’s position as a prime destination for business for those in the design world. Over the last 24 months, theMART has leased more than 350,000 square feet of showroom space across all industry verticals with such design heavyweights as Steelcase, Holly Hunt, and OFS renewing their commitments to theMART, and solutions oriented Clarus and Enwork expanding their footprints.
“The building has been an integral partner in brands’ business strategies,” comments Byron Morton, Vice President of Leasing for theMART. “We engage with our tenants to effectively enable and support their growth and ensure long term success.”
TheMART 2.0 renovations will feature significant improvements including tenant-only amenity lounges, conference rooms, and a fitness center, as well as streamlined entrances, an exclusive speakeasy bar in Marshall’s Landing, and a revamped front yard and plaza for visitors. Myron Maurer, COO of theMART comments, “With Gensler Chicago spearheading the expansive MART 2.0 renovation, tenants, exhibitors, and guests of theMART can look forward to updates and amenities that will enhance the user experience and reflect the design leadership that is represented by the partners and users of our landmark Art Deco building.”
Updates on the growing Design at theMART schedule can be found at themart.com/design-at-themart. New programming will complement the already robust calendar of activations at theMART including the Design Center’s signature annual events, and the upcoming 2022 edition of NeoCon, June 13-15.
About theMArt
theMART, located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. It is one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design forward showrooms, theMART serves as the home to Chicago’s most creative and technologically innovative companies.