Studio Gang

Based in Chicago with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris, Studio Gang was founded by Jeanne Gang in 1997. The Studio uses an iterative, research-based design process to create places that build stronger relationships among people, communities, and the natural world. Studio Gang’s diverse portfolio ranges from cultural centers to strategic framework plans to high-rise towers.

In 2003, the completion of the Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre in Rockford, IL put Studio Gang on the map. Focused on improvements to the existing outdoor amphitheater, the project included a retractable roof that opens to the sky like the petals of a flower. Following this project, the firm designed two important community centers in Chicago: the Chinese American Service League Kam L. Liu Building (2004) and One Family Illinois (formerly SOS Children’s Villages) Lavezzorio Community Center (2008).

Studio Gang’s international recognition came in 2010 with the completion of Aqua Tower in Chicago’s Lakeshore East neighborhood. Aqua, an 82-story tower overlooking Millennium Park, broke from the traditional norms of skyscraper design. With balconies that vary in size and shape on each floor, Aqua has a sculptural dimension to its facade.

Several of Studio Gang’s projects have given people relaxing, nature-rich spots to take in vistas of the Chicago skyline. In 2010, the Studio completed the 14-acre Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, which transformed a 19th-century artificial pond into an ecological habitat buzzing with life. Their 2011 publication Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways provided research-based solutions for the future of Chicago’s riverfront. It led to the City of Chicago commissioning the Studio to design two public boathouses—the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park and Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571—that helped spark the larger transformation of the River into a recreational destination. In 2021, Studio Gang completed the St. Regis Chicago, a 101-story tower that is currently the third tallest building on the Chicago skyline.

Studio Gang has also designed the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of History in New York, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, and Tom Lee Park in Memphis, all completed in 2023.

Upcoming Projects as of Fall 2024:

• O’Hare Global Terminal in Chicago, IL
• Expansion of Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, AR
• U.S. Embassy in Brasilia in Brazil
• Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in Palo Alto, CA

Firm description and images courtesy of Studio Gang.