Ste Marie Reimagines Chicago Corporate Interiors at The Bell

The Bell in Chicago’s Loop is a landmark 32-story tower redesigned to read as a layered, hospitality-forward interior landscape.

This article explores Ste Marie’s interior overhaul of the 1966 New Formalism building.

The firm reframed lobby, dining, lounges, coworking, wellness facilities, and terraces into a single narrative.

Drawing on mid-century modernism and the glamour of that era, the project uses reflective metals, statement lighting, and large-scale artworks.

These elements celebrate proportion, materiality, and a hospitality-driven experience within a high-rise office context.

Hospitality-forward transformation of a historic tower

The refurbishment partners SCB and Onni Group with Ste Marie to move beyond conventional corporate interiors.

The tower becomes a living, social landscape.

The design centers on a layered sequence that connects public and private programs into a continuous user journey.

Public-facing amenities anchor the street, while upper floors support a mix of work, leisure, and wellness.

Layered spaces that connect lobby, dining, lounges and terraces

• Solette, a 200-seat bistro and bar at street level, introduces a polished brass and walnut vocabulary that bridges the lobby with city life.
• Office floors feature lounges, coworking zones, libraries, and games rooms that evoke a mid-century social office.
• Wellness and sports facilities maintain the project’s wood and travertine palette, extending the design upward.
• The tower’s upper floors rise to a multi-level Clubhouse, linked by an undulating marble staircase, with lounges, cabanas, and terraces framing skyline views.
• An intimate Apartment offers private gathering spaces that reinforce hospitality as a core design principle.

The interior language nods to the golden age of American advertising and mid-century modernism.

Glamour is translated into durable, craft-focused interiors that feel refined and approachable for tenants and guests.

Material storytelling and detailing

The palette grounds the project in tactility and acknowledges the building’s original fabric.

Materials such as Verde Guatemala marble, terrazzo flooring, backlit timber panels, and brass pendants reference the tower’s historic identity.

These materials are elevated to amplify proportion and presence.

Reflective metals and large-scale artworks serve as focal points, while custom elements create a cohesive narrative.

Crafted surfaces and spatial proportion

• Backlit timber panels create a warm backdrop that expands interior spaces and supports acoustic comfort.
• Brass pendants and polished metal accents modulate light and add refinement.
• Terrazzo flooring provides durability and texture, grounding high-traffic zones.
• Verde Guatemala marble is used for stair cores, feature walls, and selected surfaces, enhancing vertical circulation.

Public realm, skyline experiences and programmatic depth

The design elevates public-facing spaces to become civic-like amenity nodes in a dense urban context.

The street-level Solette links directly to street life, while upper-floor elements celebrate social life in the workplace and beyond.

The undulating marble stair connecting the Clubhouse supports a continuous narrative from the lobby through coworking zones to leisure terraces.

Visitors experience a coherent material and architectural language at every level.

Hospitality-first ethos across a high-rise office tower

• The project reframes a corporate tower into a layered interior landscape where hospitality leads, inviting tenants to inhabit their spaces as social environments.
• Custom artworks inspired by the era amplify narrative moments and create a distinctive regional atmosphere.
• Landscaped cabanas and terraces offer outdoor rooms with expansive skyline views, integrating exterior space into daily workflows.
• The upper floors’ multi-level Clubhouse and private Apartment create curated, club-like experiences for gatherings and events.

Team, leadership and legacy

Ste Marie was founded in 2011 by Craig Stanghetta. The studio continues to expand its portfolio of commercial and hospitality interiors with this culturally attuned refurbishment.

The project was photographed by Ema Peter. Her imagery helps communicate the design’s layered narrative and material drama.

Ste Marie translates the building’s heritage into a hospitality-forward interior. This approach creates opportunity-rich work environments where design enhances both social and professional life.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Ste Marie “reimagines Chicago’s corporate landscape” at The Bell