Kimball International Announces New Location for Chicago Showroom

Commercial furnishings provider Kimball International recently announced that its Chicago showroom will move to a new location in the Fulton Market District. The company plans to debut the full-floor, 13,000-square-foot space in spring 2023. It will showcase its five brands designed for use in workplaces, education facilities and health facilities: Etc., Interwoven, Kimball, National and Poppin.

“As business leaders anticipate and execute office returns, healthcare organizations confront caregiver burnout, and in-person learning continues its resurgence, we wanted to create a space that inspires their tomorrow,” said Chief Customer Officer Michael Roch of Kimball International. “Our new flagship showroom will be a destination that engages customers, business partners, influencers and talent, creating a truly memorable experience in a part of the city that matches our creative spirit, rich history and innovative nature.”

The showroom’s new location places it near a wide variety of tech and design firms, local restaurants, and gallerias and boutiques. It includes a balcony featuring an open-air, wraparound terrace as well as floor-to-ceiling windows to flood the space with natural light. Kimball also plans for the space to become WELL certified.

“We are thrilled to have a blank slate and the opportunity to challenge the status quo of showrooms by designing a space that can be so much more,” said Senior Director of Brand Marketing Jessica Gubbins. “Our space will be an experience hub where the design community, our customers and CRE partners can come to not only be inspired by the products, solutions and resources that we have to offer, but also create connections. Whether it is joining in for a learning experience, thought-leadership event, or socializing and conversation, we are excited to create an interactive environment.”

Kimball International is partnering with Eastlake Studio for the new showroom’s design.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.