WHAT MAKES IT COOL
The office of Chicago real estate developer J. Paul Beitler Jr. is an homage to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. There are three larger-than-life photographic murals of the famed Chicago architect and his work in the office, which is bathed in red paint.
Conventional wisdom suggests red is a bad choice for an office because it stirs up emotion. But when designers from Powell/Kleinschmidt suggested the color for the walls and floor of his office, Mr. Beitler loved the idea. "It screams, We are not afraid to dare, " he says.
ENTRANCE
One entire wall of the entryway is a mural of Mr. Mies van der Rohe smoking a cigar. He appears to be watching over the activity at the reception desk. On the opposite wall, next to Mies van der Rohe-designed Barcelona chairs and a sleek glass table is a mural of his 1964 Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop. The windows of the building reflect surrounding skyscrapers, in a playful nod to Mr. Beitler s longtime passion for building office towers.
CONFERENCE ROOM
Mr. Beitler spent 75% less than he spent on a previous office. The reason for his frugality: He wasn t sure how long he d be staying on the 21st floor. He had hoped to buy the John Hancock Center soon after moving in, but he lost a bidding war to Goldman Sachs & Co. s Whitehall Fund and developer Golub & Co. It turns out the smaller budget didn t hurt. Among the elements that give the space a distinctive look is the glass used for one wall of the conference room. The glass, which took eight months to acquire, changes tint depending on the light. It gives the space a sense of cohesiveness because it matches the background of the mural of Mr. Mies van der Rohe.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mr. Beitler keeps a mint-condition 1952 Schwinn Phantom bicycle in his office.
