Chicago’s flagship McDonald’s restaurant looks more like somewhere one would go to pick up the latest tablet or smartphone than to grab a Big Mac and fries. The steel and wood timber constructed restaurant is covered in windows and native plants to provide customers with a strong connection to nature and abundant natural light.
There are over 70 trees planted at ground level with an additional vegetated roof space and floating glass garden that consists of ferns and white birch trees. Additionally, living walls bring nature directly inside the restaurant. The landscape consists of native and drought resilient plants along with permeable pavers for the lot surface to minimize irrigation and reduce stormwater runoff. Other sustainable features include an on-site solar array, interior and exterior LED lighting, and energy efficient kitchen and HVAC equipment.
Courtesy McDonald's.
The 19,000-sf, Ross Barney Architects-designed restaurant is equipped with self-order kiosks, table service, mobile order and payment, and delivery in order to enhance the customer experience. The restaurant will be open 24/7 and serve both dine-in and drive-thru customers.
See Also: 43,000-sf Chicago Starbucks will be world’s largest
This flagship location is the most recent McDonald’s restaurant to undergo renovations as part of the company’s “Experience of the Future” campaign. McDonald’s EOTF restaurants leverage technology, such as kiosk ordering and mobile app integration, to create a new type of fast-food restaurant more in tune with modern customer expectations. McDonald’s estimates all of its freestanding locations will undergo renovations to become EOTF restaurants by 2020.
Courtesy McDonald's.
Courtesy McDonald's.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
Retail Centers | Feb 24, 2023
Santiago Calatrava unveils plans for a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany
Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, along with the CENTRUM Group, has unveiled plans for Calatrava Boulevard, a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany. Running parallel to Königsallee and connecting with the Steinstrasse station, Calatrava Boulevard will incorporate and connect to the boulevard’s existing buildings.
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2023
Standards vs Guidelines: The benefits of establishing process
The unsung hero of standards may be the impact they can have on speed to market and price of product and project, according to IA Interior Architects.
Intelligent Lighting | Feb 13, 2023
Exploring intelligent lighting usage in healthcare, commercial facilities
SSR's Todd Herrmann, PE, LEEP AP, explains intelligent lighting's potential use cases in healthcare facilities and more.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Jan 31, 2023
2022 Retail Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. retail building sector
Gensler, CallisonRTKL, Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, Whiting-Turner Contracting, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest retail sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
High-rise Construction | Dec 7, 2022
SOM reveals its design for Singapore’s tallest skyscraper
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has revealed its design for 8 Shenton Way—a mixed-use tower that will stand 63 stories and 305 meters (1,000 feet) high, becoming Singapore’s tallest skyscraper. The design team also plans to make the building one of Asia’s most sustainable skyscrapers. The tower incorporates post-pandemic design features.
Mixed-Use | Dec 6, 2022
Houston developer plans to convert Kevin Roche-designed ConocoPhillips HQ to mixed-use destination
Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.
Retail Centers | Nov 29, 2022
'Social' tenants play a vital role in the health of the retail center market
After a long Covid-induced period when the public avoided large gatherings, owners of malls and retail lifestyle centers are increasingly focused on attracting tenants that provide opportunities for socialization. Pent-up demand for experiences involving gatherings of people is fueling renovations and redesigns of large retail developments.
Retail Centers | Nov 17, 2022
Streetwear brand Culture Kings plants its flag in Las Vegas
The immersive retail concept gives customers more reasons to stay in the store longer.
