CHICAGO — EQ Office, the U.S. office portfolio company wholly owned by Blackstone, has completed its more than $500 million renovation of Chicago’s Willis Tower. The 110-story tower is now certified LEED Platinum and is the largest building in the U.S. to achieve that designation, according to EQ Office. Part of the transformation is Catalog, a 300,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment destination at the base of the tower. The name Catalog is a nod to the Sears Roebuck Co. and its printed catalog. Designed by Gensler, Catalog features restaurants such as Tortazo by Rick Bayless, Shake Shack, Joe & the Juice, Foxtrot, Starbucks, Brown Bag Seafood Co., Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken, Sushi-San and Sweetgreen. Kindling, a two-story restaurant concept from Chicago’s 50/50 Group, as well as Urbanspace, a food hall, are both slated to open in late summer or early fall. A 30,000-square-foot outdoor terrace sits atop Catalog. The Skydeck observatory at Willis Tower also underwent a renovation through partnerships with exhibit design firms Thinc and SOM. An interactive “best of Chicago” museum-like exhibit celebrates the personality, history and neighborhoods of Chicago. Gensler designed the building’s new exterior façade at the base. SKB Architecture and Design handled the design of …
