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Lobbies -- those entranceways to hotels, office centers and apartment buildings that, in the past, received little attention -- are becoming big drawing cards for the buildings they introduce.
"Lobbies are really a hot item, because developers are selling image more," says Frederick Richter, director of architectural design for a major Chicago architectural firm.
"Developers are selling their buildings largely on the basis of their lobbies and other public areas," agreed Lynn Schmitt, vice-president and director of a Chicago-based architectural and interior design company. "They're romancing prospective tenants with the look of these public areas -- it's really a sales tool."
In keeping with developers' desire to "wow" prospective tenants, lobbies have more drama and pizzazz than ever before, achieved by new use of color, space, materials and lighting. And, some of the best examples of this new look in lobbies can be seen right here in Chicago.
"There's more detail, more color, more use of quality materials," Ms. Schmitt said. "In some ways, that's indicative of architecture in general these days. We're going through a more contemporary, more humanistic stage."
Usually referred to as either a contemporary or post-modern look, this new style is a departure from the "Miesian" architecture that preceded it. Named for the famous Chicago architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the look, which dominated Chicago architecture for the last 20 years, is characterized by starkness and emphasizes efficiency, with direct lighting, little detail and monochrome color, usually white.
Some...