Project Description
Dovetailing Tarkett’s new 9,000 square foot showroom into the rustic concrete and steel backdrop of Chicago’s iconic Merchandise Mart required design precision and restraint. The third floor space is designed as a gallery and exhibit space for Tarkett’s innovative flooring products while also serving the broader interior design community with spaces for research, networking, and events. A key goal of the project was to highlight solutions for Tarkett’s four main industry sectors: Healthcare, Workplace, Retail, and Education. A custom collage made of white pieces of wall base is artfully framed to welcome visitors. To keep the experience focused on the flooring itself, the showroom is largely comprised of transparent glass panels, with open views to the reception area, large flooring lab, materials library, café, and theater. Large, rectangular portals lead visitors to key product areas. Social lounge spaces with casual and collaborative seating arrangements are interspersed throughout the showroom. A dynamic place for the design community to gather, the showroom can host a wide variety of events and meetings. A flexible presentation space features stadium seating with seating surfaces perfectly sized to accommodate loose carpet tiles as cushions, a clever way to display yet more product. Showcasing Tarkett’s flooring products in an optimal fashion required careful preparation of existing surfaces and a flexible and subtle lighting solution. Existing exposed utility piping and new mechanical systems were carefully painted. Restraining the palette to glass, muted colors and furniture made of natural materials complements the historic character of the Merchandise Mart and allows the product to be the focal point.