Hear what made a hat retailer start a store in the Monadnock Building
Hear what made a hat retailer start a store in the Monadnock Building
What was it about the late 19th-century Monadnock Building, in Chicago's Loop, that convinced a 21st-century hat retailer it was the right place to attract customers?
© Chicago Architecture Foundation (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
GRAHAM THOMPSON: Several years ago, we started thinking about opening a store downtown Chicago. Well, we wanted to be in a place that we could build out a special store that we intended to be at for a very long time. When we found this store in the Monadnock, it just felt perfect. At the Monadnock they want good tenants here, ones that fit in with what the building represents and what it's about.
This has got so much of a classic Chicago feel. There's an authenticity to this building, a history in this place. I just felt good when I came in. We wanted to design a space that fit in well with our surroundings, and so the color that we chose, for example, it picks up on some of the coloration of veins in the marble in the hallway.
We also wanted a space that was a little bit darker so you kind of looked inside like a jewel box. And the edge of this countertop was molded off of the edge of a brim. And the back wall was filled with molds that are used in the production of hats. So this space is sort of a timeless but a little bit of a 1930s, modern feel we were going for.
It's just a pleasure coming in-- walking through the door, walking down the hallway. And I see it when customers come to visit. They not only feel comfortable in our store, but they're just so often fascinated by the building itself. The fact that this building has been here so long, this is exactly what we want to reflect with our business. I want to be in business for another 100 years, and to be in a building that we know is going to be here for another 100 years is great, goes hand in hand.
This has got so much of a classic Chicago feel. There's an authenticity to this building, a history in this place. I just felt good when I came in. We wanted to design a space that fit in well with our surroundings, and so the color that we chose, for example, it picks up on some of the coloration of veins in the marble in the hallway.
We also wanted a space that was a little bit darker so you kind of looked inside like a jewel box. And the edge of this countertop was molded off of the edge of a brim. And the back wall was filled with molds that are used in the production of hats. So this space is sort of a timeless but a little bit of a 1930s, modern feel we were going for.
It's just a pleasure coming in-- walking through the door, walking down the hallway. And I see it when customers come to visit. They not only feel comfortable in our store, but they're just so often fascinated by the building itself. The fact that this building has been here so long, this is exactly what we want to reflect with our business. I want to be in business for another 100 years, and to be in a building that we know is going to be here for another 100 years is great, goes hand in hand.