Starbucks Reserve Roastery
In major cities around the world, Starbucks Reserve Roasteries immerse visitors in experiential retail environments that the company describes as “both workshop and stage.” When selecting the site for its largest roastery, Starbucks chose a Chicago retail icon: the former Crate & Barrel flagship on North Michigan Avenue. The five‑story project transformed the 90s-era retail landmark into a bustling destination that has drawn thousands of customers a day since its 2019 opening.
Starbucks’ in-house architects and designers defined the conceptual vision, which included a 56‑foot‑tall bronze coffee bean cask that anchors the multi-story space and the curving escalator that spirals around it.
As architects of record, our Chicago-based team tackled design development, construction documents, and construction administration, translating Starbucks’ design ambitions into refined, buildable solutions. Our local connections and technical expertise proved essential, as the project was on a tight schedule with an inflexible deadline.
Photos: Matthew Glac
Working within the existing building’s structure and footprint, we collaborated closely with our network of builders and fabricators to resolve challenges as they emerged on site. The gradated green and brass radiating ceiling is the roastery’s signature unifying element. Centered on the cask and rotunda, the ceiling is composed of rings of perforated wood panels. One of our most impactful contributions was developing a parametric ceiling model to manage shifting programmatic needs, ensuring that acoustic performance, food‑safe zones, and complex mechanical requirements could be quickly coordinated and integrated into the design. Each panel carefully integrates lighting, speakers, sprinkler heads, diffusers, and acoustic treatment while emphasizing the beauty of the ceiling, rotunda, and cask.
During the final months leading up to the November opening, team members were on site by 7 a.m. daily to troubleshoot and keep fabrication and installation on track.
