From Crate & Barrel to Starbucks ‘Reserve’

The four-story building opened as a Crate & Barrel in 1990, adding a much-needed dose of modernism to the proliferation of bland postmodern malls on Michigan Avenue late last century. Designed by Chicago’s SCB, the glassy, white-metal building that recalls the architecture of Richard Meier features a rounded corner that houses escalators and, at the roof, a wall angled toward the John Hancock Center.

In a Chicago Tribune article, Executive Chairman Howard Schultz said the Roastery is like "the Willy Wonka of coffee," and "the store gives us an opportunity to do something very dramatic with the escalator that will fit with the Willy Wonka theme." What that means exactly will have to wait until 2019 when the Roastery opens on Michigan Avenue. In the meantime, all we have are an exterior rendering released by Starbucks and some vague design language in a statement from the company:

The new Chicago Roastery will be a fully sensorial coffee environment dedicated to roasting, brewing and packaging its rare, small-batch Starbucks Reserve coffees from around the world. Tailored to the Chicago customer, the interactive four-story, 43,000-square-foot space will also be designed to bring coffee craft to life by offering multiple brewing methods, specialty Reserve beverages and mixology.

And what about Crate & Barrel? The retailer, based in suburban Chicago, will close the store in early 2018 but keep its other Chicago location open. As of now, there are no plans to open another Chicago store.