The site started with a small masonry building in Chicago’s South Loop with a lot of foot traffic, but nothing that supported the neighborhood’s daily rhythm. The Wabash Cafe was designed to be an easygoing spot to start and end your day, becoming a familiar anchor for the community. Acting as a cafe in the morning that shifts into a restaurant at night, the space is designed to feel energizing at the start of the day and comforting later in the day.
The project weaves together an outdoor area, a restaurant, and cafe into one flexible space that naturally changes as the day progresses. Bright daylight washes through the interior during the morning, which carriers through to the patio as plants help soften the urban surroundings and cut down on noise. As the day continues the patio becomes the anchor to the space, while the interior takes on a supplementary role. By evening, the lighting shifts to a softer glow, turning the cafe into an intimate restaurant that invites people to slow down and unwind.
By responding to the site and carefully shaping how space and materials are used, this project manages to live several different lives in a single day. With an environment that uplifts and invigorates, Wabash Cafe becomes a cornerstone for the neighborhood that supports the lives happening around it.
