The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Center) is a well-known LEED Gold Certification Class A building. The two 40-storey twin towers are connected by a 10-storey central structure. It was completed in 1987. After three decades of ups and down, CME Center recently completed the project renovation, focusing on the renovation of the serious old lobby and create a public corridor between the two towers!

The CME is one of the world's largest futures and options exchanges. In interest rate futures, index futures and other financial derivatives trading and agricultural futures trading market, it has absolute scale advantage.

In 2018, the developer began to carry out major reconstruction of the first floor lobby and retail corridor. The previous mullions and reflective glass have been removed and replaced by extra-long curved glass surrounding the lobby. A public corridor is separated from the lobby, and white oak tables and chairs allowing people to work and meet here. The new lobby is designed by Krueck + Sexton Architects. Now the new lobby is surrounded by transparent and smooth curves, with white walls and ceilings integrated into one, making it bright and design-conscious.

Like a cluster of luminous flowers, simple and elegant. Seemingly simple, but behind it is an extremely complex modular geometric structure system, which creates a friendly and open atmosphere for the lobby. When designing the curve of the glass curtain wall, Krueck + Sexton Architects analyzed the movement path of surrounding pedestrians and designed the curved glass curtain wall in accordance with the ergonomic law.

All the glass in the podium of the CME Center comes from Tianjin NorthGlass. The curved curtain wall with 54 pieces of curved glass is the most difficult one, with a total length of about 120 meters and a height of 7.6 meters. Among them, the minimum radius of the single glass is 1.5 meters, and the coincidence between each glass is accurate to within 2mm. Tianjin NorthGlass adopts the self-innovative curved glass surface measurement method, which greatly improves the precision of glass, the corrugated deformation is controlled within 0.05mm, and the diopter is less than 200MD.

The reconstruction of the central lobby redefines the meaning of working in the city. The magnificent vertical glass curtain walls covering each side of the building, making the lobby transparent and modern, allowing people to easily enjoy a vibrant urban life scene. Architect Mark Sexton said that rather than seeing the CME hall as a purely utilitarian building, it would be better to turn it into a work of art. And now they do!

After the delivery of the glass in the central lobby, NorthGlass, as the material supplier, has completed the mission of the project transformation. However, in order to make the glass perfectly present the best effect, NorthGlass has sent technicians to assist the whole installation process with the spirit of being meticulous, so as to make the glass perfect. In the future, NorthGlass will continue to devote itself to fine manufacturing, enabling innovation and creating more eternal classics.