Building Sustainability

Just shy of 1,200 feet in height and coming in at 101 stories, the Studio Gang-designed St. Regis Chicago has already become a recognizable part of the Chicago’s skyline. Its height and three-stem profile set it apart, while its undulating façade and glass gradient evokes the blue-green surface of the river it overlooks. When it opens later this year, it will be the third-tallest building in the city.

Much more than an aesthetic flourish, the glass gradient represents both an achievement in building material advancement and a step forward in energy-efficiency, two areas of architecture that St. Regis Chicago’s design principal, Juliane Wolf (ARCH ’01), has been pursuing her entire career.

Now a partner at Studio Gang, Wolf grew up in Germany surrounded by architects—her father, grandfather, great aunt, uncle, and currently, her nephew. She says that she came to Illinois Institute of Technology because its Bauhausian and Miesian ties have given the school a good reputation in her home country. 

Illinois Tech was also the place where Wolf met Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang founder and a former professor at the College of Architecture. Wolf became an intern at Gang’s studio in 1999, just two years after its founding.

“When I started as an intern there were only a handful of people,” says Wolf. “It was such an amazing experience. I knew from the moment that I interned there that it was something really special. Jeanne’s vision was immediately inspiring.”

This story was featured in the spring 2020 issue of Illinois Tech Magazine. You can read the full story on the Illinois Tech Magazine website.