The Row Fulton Market

547,000 square feet
43 stories, 300 units
Chicago, Illinois
2023

After designing the Landmark West Loop tower, MA was commissioned to design a second building in Chicago—this time in the heart of the historic Fulton-Randolph Market District. The 480-foot-tall, mixed-use multifamily building seamlessly responds to the historic texture and scale of the immediate neighborhood while reinterpreting recognizable industrial motifs that relate to the larger context of the city.

The Row’s tower seen down a Fulton Market street, framed by tree branches, with a cyclist and storefronts in the foreground

Split image comparing a black-and-white photo of Chicago’s elevated L tracks, with steel beams and curved brackets, to a rendering of The Row’s façade, where a dark metal superstructure and curved brackets frame the windows

With a small footprint, deep setbacks, and a podium that matches the height of the existing streetwall, The Row, located at 164 North Peoria, maximizes light and air in the public realm and preserves the pedestrian experience. The addition of sidewalk planters and vegetation along Peoria, and the landscaped roof atop the podium, add much-needed green space to the neighborhood while also reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

The podium integrates residential units on the Peoria Street elevation above ground-floor retail, activating the frontage while concealing parking behind. The sides of the podium that do not face Peoria Street are clad in brick to provide continuity to the neighborhood’s urban fabric while screening the off-street parking behind. The brick is framed by a dark metal superstructure that also becomes the defining element of the tower.

In its detailing and articulation, the superstructure references the work of Mies van der Rohe and the muscular yet elegant structure of Chicago’s ubiquitous “L” tracks, defined by steel beams and curved aluminum brackets.

Close view of The Row’s dark metal superstructure and curved brackets framing the tower’s windows, seen through tree branches

The Row Fulton Market rising above low-rise buildings in Chicago’s Fulton-Randolph Market District, with the downtown skyline and Willis Tower beyond

“For the design of The Row, we wanted to reinterpret recognizable industrial motifs that relate to Chicago’s larger context while seamlessly responding to the historic texture and scale of the beloved Fulton Market neighborhood. Preserving the pedestrian experience along Randolph Row and Peoria Street was extremely important.” – Morris Adjmi

Watercolor sketch of The Row’s podium elevation: a dark metal superstructure with curved brackets framing the upper floors, above ground-floor retail with brick piers

The Row’s tower rising behind a row of historic brick buildings in the Fulton-Randolph Market District, with an elevated L train crossing the street beyond

Amenity terrace with a pool and lounge chairs atop the podium at The Row Fulton Market in Chicago, with the tower’s dark metal superstructure rising alongside

At the base of the tower is a five-story podium that aligns with the height of the existing streetwall. At the top of the podium, a setback provides space for an amenity terrace, featuring a pool and common lounge space.

Amenity terrace atop the podium at The Row Fulton Market in Chicago, with an outdoor kitchen and dining table beneath a louvered pergola, lounge seating, and planted beds

Construction

The tower’s small, square footprint also provides for a flexible arrangement of units while offering stunning panoramic views in all directions. The top three residential floors dissolve to create staggered terraces that blur the line between interior and exterior realms. Viewed from afar, this playful massing breaks the rigidity of the tower’s form to become an iconic crown, announcing itself as a beacon within the West Loop.

The Row Fulton Market’s tower rising above the low-rise West Loop in Chicago, seen from above in late-day light

Morris Adjmi Architects