Our flagship showroom, on the 10th floor of the Chicago Merchandise Mart, opened to NeoCon trade show visitors on June 9, 2008. Jennifer Luce, of Luce et Studio in San Diego, was the lead architect of the 23,000-square-foot showroom. The design of the showroom began with the idea of an urban space. A large area of floor space at the front of the showroom is dedicated to social activities, similar to the open piazzas in Italy where people meet and gather. The urban scenario continues throughout the showroom, where a series of spaces that resemble buildings and urban streets become the paths to the furniture settings.

The design team incorporated environmentally friendly strategies outlined by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for Commercial Interiors, which provides guidelines for high-performance interiors that are healthy, productive places to work.  Critical factors in creating the showroom were daily water and electrical consumption, whether to reuse or replace materials, space management, air quality, and light penetration. “Everyone involved in the showroom played a role in making it more environmentally responsible.  So, rather than focusing on meeting the documentation requirements, it’s been about infusing sustainable objectives into the design and making it feel natural and not forced”, says Jennifer Luce.

The materials that make up the architecture of the showroom are simple. It's primarily steel, aluminum, metal meshes and wood, and a theatrical scrim fabric that serves as a background for light and projection. One of the most important features of the space is that it receives large amounts of natural light - a challenge when building inside a massive structure like the Merchandise Mart.

Under the creative direction of Coalesse Creative Director, Robert Arko, the architectural team was supported by a group of internal and external talent, including our materials and color consultant, Laura Guido-Clark, and Tolleson Design of San Francisco who designed the showroom graphics. The showroom is enhanced by artwork created by eight MFA students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The artwork will remain on display in our showroom through September 2008. 

An on-line photo tour of the showroom is available via Flickr.

Coalesse Showroom
10th Floor Merchandise Mart, Suite 1032
Chicago, IL