THE MERCHANDISE MART - A CASE STUDY

Since 1931, the Merchandise Mart in , , has been a creative mecca. The landmark is a distinct mainstay of the Chicago landscape. When NeoCon 2015 was quickly approaching, the eleventh floor of this historic icon was in need of a renovation that delivered both design and performance. “It was a great experience partnering with Milliken for this project. The product and the lead time really helped us achieve our long-term goals of investing in the Mart and maintaining and improving it as the leading design destination in North America.”

- Maulik Shah, Senior Project Director at Merchandise Mart Properties

The Mart team, including Maulik Shah, senior project director, and Myron Mau- rer, COO, collaborated with Tom Marquardt, principal and founder of interdisci- plinary design firm marquardt+ inc. Together, the group chose Milliken’s popular Fixate collection, freshly updated with plank carpet tiles, to fill the 22,000-plus- square-foot corridor space. A light gray colorway with white accents offered a crisp, tailored aesthetic, while enabling wayfinding through its intrinsic sense of movement. FIXATE - Fixate Loop in In-the-Details with Carbon accents, ashlar tile installation Flooring requirements were multi-faceted:

• Unify a fresh design point of view without overshadowing showroom Since 1931, the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, building, brimming with customized showrooms, for presentations has been a creative mecca. The art deco landmark is NeoCon – the largest design event in North America. a distinct mainstay of the Chicago landscape. Today, • Create a modern, upscale brand experience for the Mart and the architecture and design community at large it is the largest commercial building in the world, When NeoCon 2015 was quickly approaching, the operating as a wholesale design center and hub of eleventh floor of this historic icon was in need of a • Offer ease of maintenance and performance benefits in a contemporary international business. The epic building, which renovation that delivered both design and perfor- aesthetic spans 4.2 million gross square feet, sits on two mance. New flooring needed to stand up to the rigors blocks and stands 25 stories high. Over the last five of heavy traffic for 10 years and set the stage for high- • Uphold the Mart’s sustainability standards and meet the building’s LEED decades, thousands have flocked to the iconic ly creative gatherings – without upstaging tenants. Gold certification for existing buildings

2 3 “We wanted to make a design statement with the flooring, without sacrificing performance. Fixate delivered on both counts, while also meeting our LEED certification sustainability standards.”

– Byron Morton, Vice President of Leasing at Merchandise Mart Properties

DESIGN

The Mart’s expansive eleventh floor boasts more than 22,000 square feet of corridors, a variety of ceiling heights, and dozens of unique showrooms. The challenge of unifying such diverse architectural features was clear to Tom and Byron. Their goal: Refresh the floor with an air of sophistication, and harmonize various interior elements without competing or clashing with client space. FIXATE - Fixate Loop in In-the-Details with Carbon accents, ashlar tile installation Tom incorporated a vertical ashlar brick layout to create a random pattern for a modern, loft-like appearance without being unprofessional. The vertical pattern enhanced the length of the hallways, while mirroring light fixtures above.

Milliken’s Fixate planks provided high contrast with a neutral color palette in “Instead of fighting the linearity of the halls, we emphasized it. a spectrum of gray hues, which complement the showrooms regardless of their design. While incorporating light tones into such a high-traffic area might We broke a design rule by introducing linear product in the seem problematic, Milliken’s digital printing and StainSmart® technologies left direction of the corridor, which, in turn, enhances the corridor the designer confident of its durability and longevity. Tom chose to paint all of the baseboards in the space white, echoing the white striations in the carpet experience. We specified Fixate, with its clear, linear, graphic installation and adding another element of modernity. appearance and crisp, neutral color palette, to give the corridors The project’s quick turnaround was another design challenge that was overcome a fresh, tailored, visually active look.” through floor covering. Fixate comes standard with attached cushion backing, which reduced installation time, yielding a finished space within the tight timeframe leading up to NeoCon. – Tom Marquardt, Principal/Founder of marquardt+ inc.

4 5 “This was the first time I’ve selected Milliken carpet, and I learned a lot in the process. The premium backing that comes standard with Milliken carpet helps reduce installation costs and time, while improving comfort and longevity. I was also confident that the quality technology used to create this carpet would withstand any stain and soil concerns, even on lighter flooring.”

– Tom Marquardt, Principal/Founder of marquardt+ inc.

FIXATE - Fixate Loop in In-the-Details with Carbon accents, ashlar tile installation

WAYFINDING vertically, horizontal planks were used around corners, directing clients around The sheer scope of the floor, which includes multiple entry points, was immediately identified as a design the extensive hallways. challenge. The goal was to use flooring to create a space that promoted wayfinding and sensible transitions. In addition to the gray tones that were selected for the majority of the corridors, Fixate was designed to convey a sense of movement through parallel rows of color that appear to be trying accents of darker gray tones and black were chosen. This addition broke up to outrace each other. The floor covering instilled a current in the space, gently pulling and pushing patrons the floor plane through thoughtful placement. Dark tiles become more densely throughout the Mart’s corridors. Together, the linear pattern and ashlar plank installation act as a map, which grouped in close proximity to and hallway intersections. These tile is invaluable during high-traffic events, such as Neocon. While the majority of the planks were installed sequences enhanced the space, delineating points of entrance and exit.

6 7 “We wanted to use pattern to improve wayfinding throughout the space and point out corridors and lobbies. The plank tile allowed us to achieve this by injecting contrasting colors to highlight intersections.”

– Tom Marquardt, Principal/Founder of marquardt+ inc.

SUSTAINABILITY

Notably, Fixate is PVC free and carries various third-party certifications/labels, including CRI Green Label Plus, NSF 140, a UL-verified Environmental Product Declaration, and a Declare® label.

Fixate is also manufactured by Milliken using 52 percent renewable energy, one of the company's many initiatives to create sustainable floor covering solutions. Most importantly, however, was that the carpet would contribute to the Mart’s LEED Gold certification and last for the next decade or more, as the cushion backing extends its usable first-life.

FEEDBACK

The Fixate installation was seamlessly completed within the six-week time frame. The myriad design challenges, from sustainability standards to performance and durability to a modern design aesthetic, were all met in a fresh, interesting way. The renovation updated the historic Chicago building,

maintaining the eleventh floor’s legacy as a haven for creativity and design. FIXATE - Fixate Loop in In-the-Details with Carbon accents, ashlar tile installation

8 9 FIXATE - Fixate Loop in In-the-Details with Carbon accents, ashlar tile installation

“Milliken’s Fixate plank carpet tile has received excellent feedback – people love the color, pattern, and integrated contrast, while the cushion backing undoubtedly helps during NeoCon when attendees are on their feet for three days. It is a true design solution for this iconic space.”

– Byron Morton, Vice President of Leasing at Merchandise Mart Properties

Visit millikencarpet.com for more information. Customer Concierge 800.824.2246 (USA and Canada)

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