“What’s old is new again” has always been a fashion shibboleth, but it sprang to life with the Wrigley Building’s recent renovation. The shimmering bright-white landmark, designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and informed by the Giralda Tower in Seville, became the Mag Mile’s first statement piece when William Wrigley Jr.’s team finished the second tower in 1924. Fast-forward many packs of chewing gum and one ugly metal-and-glass wall later to 2011, when the abused old building parted ways with its namesake company and was scooped up by an investor group including the cofounders of Groupon. A $70 million renovation led by architects at Goettsch Partners replaced the offending wall with glistening terra-cotta, its ornamentation restored, and updated the plaza between the towers. A year or so later, the eye-catching results continue to impress, and a retail makeover has brought in Walgreens and Peet’s Coffee and Teas, both slated to open later this summer.
Best Renovation of a Mag Mile Icon
Wrigley Building
