Wilson Sporting Goods has a rich 103-year history in Chicago with the venerable company recently moving to its new headquarters in downtown Chicago after spending two decades in offices near O’Hare Airport.
The 90,000-square-foot space at the Prudential Plaza was designed by Gensler Chicago and houses some 400 employees over two floors that are connected by an open staircase in the center of the building. The space encourages collaboration, with an open floor plan featuring workstations, and studios and conference rooms for each Wilson product line.
“Just having been there a month, you can hear a vibe in the building,” said Mike Dowse, president of Wilson Sporting Goods. “It is not as subdued. There is more interaction that speaks to the workstations we have built.”
The company’s new headquarters is also located across the street from Chicago’s Millennium Park, which has tennis courts and softball diamonds, providing a convenient testing ground of sorts for some of Wilson’s products.
The downtown location also gives the company access to many players in pro sports who travel with their teams to the city. “The teams stay downtown so it is easy access to come visit us and give us feedback on our products,” Dowse said.
The well-known Wilson logo at the office entrance.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
A company mantra on the wall.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
An open office environment in the baseball glove area.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
Spacious employee café with sporting lines and a lofty feel.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
The office features a 10,000-square-foot café and a game lounge with a ping-pong table and wall modeled after the iconic Wrigley Field scoreboard.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
A wide staircase with open seating below.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
The open staircase encourages employee interaction.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
Another wall is adorned with employee mock baseball cards.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
Reception area with Wilson products.© Wilson | Gensler Chicago | Tom Harris Photography
A small putting green tucked away for impromptu meetings.john lombardo / staff
Wilson!! A mosaic of volleyballs adds color.john lombardo / staff
A mural made from golf tees.john lombardo / staff
