Playboy Enterprises Corporate Headquarters

Our firm won the commission for the Playboy Enterprises Corporate Headquarters with an innovative concept that reimagined the top two floors of the historic American Furniture Mart. The challenge was clear: although the combined floors offered 100,000 sq. ft. of space, windows existed only along the north façade. To create a dynamic and light filled workplace, we needed a bold architectural strategy.

Running the length of the top floor was an existing continuous skylight positioned between the window wall and the building core. We treated this skylight as a second wall of windows, carving a full length atrium adjacent to it and constructing a two story “glass building” within the space. This internal structure housed executive offices and conference rooms, while the surrounding areas on both floors were designed as open workspaces bathed in natural light from two sides.

The entry lobby, situated between widely spaced elevator banks, featured custom sofas and a monumental bronze wall sculpture of the iconic Playboy “bunny head,” created by renowned Chicago artist Richard Hunt. Along the broad central walkway beneath the skylights, we installed rotating art panels showcasing selections from Playboy's extensive and ever changing art collection.

The completed headquarters set a new standard for workplace design. It received the first AIA Award in Interiors and was widely published internationally, establishing the project as a landmark in corporate interior architecture.