Pelli Clarke & Partners’ Salesforce Tower Chicago Opens

Pelli Clarke & Partners have completed Salesforce Tower Chicago, a LEED Gold-certified office tower located in the heart of downtown Chicago, where the North, South, and Eastern branches of the Chicago River meet. Located adjacent to the historic Merchandise Mart and the Chicago Riverwalk, the tower is the final addition to Wolf Point, a 14-year project to complete one of the most visible waterfront locations in the city. The building now serves as the Chicago headquarters of maverick technology company Salesforce, providing expansive views of the Chicago River and state-of-the-art amenities for the company’s 2,000 strong, and growing, local workforce.

"It has been a privilege to shape the transformation of Wolf Point and contribute to the design of Chicago’s iconic skyline for nearly 15 years," says Darin Cook, Partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners. “We have long been inspired by Chicago’s rich architectural tradition and history of innovation. In creating Salesforce Tower, we designed a tower that reaches boldly skyward, is imbued with lightness, and takes a sculptural form.”

Wolf Point was once home to some of the city’s first commercial settlements in the early nineteenth century, and was later abandoned, becoming an underutilized surface parking lot. It has since been a cornerstone of the city’s multi-decade riverfront transformation. Salesforce Tower Chicago is the third and final phase of the Pelli Clarke & Partners–designed, Hines-developed master plan for Wolf Point. Spanning 4-acres, the mixed-use Wolf Point district boasts 2.3 acres of public park space, two residential buildings—featuring a total of 1,207 apartments, and the new Salesforce Tower.

“Wolf Point is a prime example of Hines’ commitment to creating towers that enrich the communities via world class design and engagement with the community they enhance. Salesforce Tower is the most prominent piece of that,” said John Tomlinson, Managing Director at Hines. “Salesforce Tower Chicago is the epitome of the modern workplace and serves as a magnet for attracting top talent, and fostering connections and collaboration.”

The tower is Salesforce’s first custom-designed, unified workspace in the city, created to gather staff under one roof from locations spread across the city. Its 1.2 million square feet of office space are now 97% occupied by Salesforce and law firm Kirkland & Ellis. The 57-story, 852-foot tall tower is characterized by a stepped form with a series of gently tapering setbacks, creating a slender and sculptural profile. The tower's north-south orientation and rectangular massing evokes a strong visual connection to neighboring Wolf Point East and preserves the views for adjacent buildings. The building’s floor plates are configured to enhance river and skyline views as well as workplace flexibility. The floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall maximizes natural light inside, while effectively blocking 15% of ultraviolet light. The glass facade reflects the Chicago River and evokes a feeling of lightness and transparency.