Relativity Reimagines Workplace With Library, Arcade, Video Wall Hub
Relativity sets its new 100,000-square-foot headquarters inside Chicago’s historic Central Standard Building, aligning a global legal-tech brand with a storied address. Partners By Design crafts a modern office that supports hybrid work, wellbeing, and community, wrapping focused rooms, collaboration zones, and lively amenities into one address. The result feels grounded in history and tuned to the next era of AI-driven practice.
Morning light lifts across tall windows and quiet corridors before the first meetings begin. Daylight rides the perimeter — a steady cue for orientation.
Relativity’s headquarters is an office environment in Chicago that threads workplace rhythms through a historic tower. Partners By Design organizes work modes, amenities, and circulation with purpose, leaning on a balanced palette and clear program moves to support daily use at multiple scales. The plan reads as a series of purposeful rooms that prioritize connection and focused work in equal measure.
Arrival and Flow
You enter to a calm neutral palette, where wood tones and soft grays set the baseline for concentration. Consider the mix: stadium-style seating, a video wall, a quiet library, and a juice bar weave into a legible loop that guides movement from welcome to work. Circulation lines are short and clear, making it easy to move between individual desks and collaboration tables without friction.
Work Modes, Interlaced
Individual and team zones sit close, so a focused sprint can shift into a quick huddle without losing momentum. Open areas hold vibrant furniture that adds color and energy against the neutral shell, while enclosed rooms absorb calls and deep work. Wellness and accessibility are paced into the plan with equitable routes and intuitive wayfinding that supports an inclusive day.
Stadium Hub and Screen
A tiered, stadium-style forum anchors all-hands gatherings and impromptu meetups. The large video wall broadcasts company-wide meetings to the global team, reinforcing cultural rituals for those on-site and remote. Between events, the tiers act as casual work ledges and social steps, keeping the heart of the office active beyond scheduled moments.
Quiet Rooms and Library
When focus matters, a dedicated library shifts the pace with hushed finishes and controlled light. It becomes the counterpoint to the forum, supporting research, writing, and heads-down thinking with minimal distraction. Nearby enclaves provide privacy for calls and one-on-ones, keeping noise and movement contained.
Refresh and Play
A juice bar channels the mood of a lush orange grove, giving a sensory break with color and aroma. The arcade, complete with a sports simulator, turns team bonding into a game, encouraging quick resets during a long day. These moments build camaraderie without pulling people far from their work rhythm.
Sustainability, Sourced
Sustainability runs through specification and procurement, prioritizing environmentally responsible materials and opportunities for small and diverse businesses. That commitment extends from surfaces to systems, embedding values into daily routines. Performance meets purpose in choices people touch and see.
By late afternoon, the forum quiets and the library deepens in tone as screens dim. The plan keeps working, letting teams close loops or open new ones with ease. What remains is a clear, flexible workplace tuned to real habits and shared momentum.
Photography courtesy of Partners By Design
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