Continuing collaboration with Strategic Hotels and Resorts, and partnering with global chef restaurateur Richard Sandoval, KTGY Chicago Interiors has designed a Latin-fusion lounge celebrating unique flavors, culture and the agave family. Combining the unique influences of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine with a Chicago attitude, the one and only Casa Chi sits at the corner of conventional and unconventional.
KTGY, a Great Places to Work certified design firm focused on architecture, branding, interiors and planning, recently completed the interior renovation of Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. Casa Chi is the second phase of development that opens the hotel’s lobby to the public, adding a chic new draw to the building’s ground floor.
Young people, hotel guests and anyone coming in off the sidewalk will be transported in a vibrant setting that completely renovates a wine bar into a distinctive dining experience. The design pulls from Latinx pride and Chicago’s Hispanic community for its touchpoints and influences. Completing the picture is a tribute to the Agave family, the unique textures, scents and flavors of tequila and mezcal production where terra cotta tiles adorn the walls alongside smoked wood paneling.
The art program takes is the star of the design, featuring mural work from Kate Lewis and a woven piece from CoLores Decor. The mural nods to Mexican muralism while it incorporates images and symbols from Latin America and Asia. The walls feature the added texture of woven pieces directly taken from Latin American textiles. The white agave fibers contrast with the dark wood and the contemporary mural. The combined effect of the art pieces is a transportive one. The more traditional craft and texture mixes with the murals street art iconography to elicit a sense of momentum and arrival that speaks to the food’s cultural influences and past.
The interior design completely reimagines a space that once served as the hotel’s wine bar. Key to the transformation is the addition of an added exterior door. Patrons access the restaurant from the exterior of the building. It helps complete the sense of arrival by opening the experience to the public.
Latin inspired upholstery supports the lounge-style seating plan and Mexican modernism inspires the furniture. Low couches line the walls and lounge chairs complete the intimate seating arrangement. The center of the room features booths and lounge chairs grouped tables in a casual, social setting. An intimate space lets the art and materials shine. On entry, guests are inundated with the colors, textures and sights of a culture fusing Peruvian, Japanese and Chicago culture. Casa Chi completes the sense of arrival for the hotel lobby and creates an attractive touchpoint for the community at large as guests can’t help but be drawn off the Magnificent Mile by this energetic space.
Address: 505 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Developer/Owner: Strategic Hotels and Resorts
Interiors: KTGY
Opening Date: May 2024