One year after it purchased the space, 360 Chicago announced plans to convert the site of the former Signature Room restaurant into one of the world’s few multilevel observation decks.
The company already operates an observation deck on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center building, but at a news conference Wednesday revealed its plans to add a three-story staircase through the 94th to 96th floors for guests to experience even more of the city’s views.
The makeover at 875 N. Michigan Ave. will take 18 to 24 months to complete, said Nichole Benolken, managing director at 360 Chicago. Demolishing a more than 30-year-old restaurant back to bare bones steel and concrete while construction crews are more than 1,000 feet in the air is not an easy task, she said.
The project is costing “tens of millions” in private funding from Magnicity, owner of the observation deck operator, Benolken said. They’ve also partnered with WB Immersive, a global branding and cultural experience company, to develop the attraction.
Guests can experience the 95th floor to join the 360 Chicago observation deck by 2027, and the 96th floor will be a premium events area for weddings, social gatherings, corporate affairs and more, keeping the spirit of the Signature Room space as a place for celebrations and gatherings alive.
Magnicity, an urban leisure company based in Paris, acquired 360 Chicago in 2012. The Signature Room closed in 2023 after “severe economic hardship,” and last summer, 360 Chicago bought the space with no plans for a new restaurant in the 30,000-square-foot space.
Since the acquisition, 360 Chicago’s observation deck (which includes the CloudBar and Tilt experiences) has attracted 60% more visitors, Benolken said. Those attractions have created jobs for Chicagoans, too.
“We are now positioned to bring much-needed investment into these iconic spaces, delivering an experience that truly reflects the historic and architectural significance of this incredible building,” Benolken said.
There are no plans to shut down the 94th-floor observation deck to the public while the bespoke staircase is being built, but crews will add temporary construction partitions to ensure that the work will be done safely, Benolken said.
Designed and co-constructed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill, the former Hancock Building is the fifth-tallest in the city. It made history when it opened in 1969, making it the first mixed-use skyscraper in the world with offices, restaurants, apartments, and more, all housed in one place. At the same time, it revolutionized skyscraper construction, pushing the boundaries of what was once thought to be impossible. Skidmore Owings and Merrill has returned to transform the space.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be here, taking it into the next generation of innovation,” said Scott Duncan, a design partner with Skidmore Owings and Merrill.
“We’re also undertaking a renovation of all of the building mechanical systems, making them ... much more energy efficient and more comfortable for visitors,” Duncan continued.
The renovation will also include replacing the glazing of the building, and the glass panels of the structure will get an update, too.
Second Ward Ald. Bryan Hopkins, whose ward includes the building, said he came to Wednesday’s announcement completely in the dark about 360 Chicago’s plans.
“That speaks to the trust I have in this company,” Hopkins said.
The alderman said he hopes the space will become an attraction for local residents just as much as it is for tourists.
“It is as much a local point of pride and participation as it is an international tourist destination,” he said.
“This is going to be one of the most in-demand event spaces anywhere in the city,” Hopkins said. “There’s a lot of sentimental attachment to this building. I proposed to my wife right over there, you know,” he said, motioning toward a corner of the 94th-floor space.
“It was probably the No. 1 romantic place in the city of Chicago, and to lose it was tragic. What they’re doing right now is not only recapturing the spirit of the old Signature Room, but they’re taking it up three levels, literally [and] figuratively.”
