PORTFOLIO | Restaurant Hospitality

PARK GRILL

Chicago, Illinois
Client: Aria Group Architects
Size: 8,000 sq. ft.
Status: Complete

The Park Grill is an upscale 300 seat restaurant located “underground” within the new Millennium Park in Chicago. The restaurant is split into two sections. The main section contains dining, the main kitchen and support spaces, while the remote space houses dry storage, offices, coolers/freezers and a remote prep kitchen.

The project was a challenging mechanical design due to several factors. The restaurant is located directly below the grass-covered Millennium Park, which due to it’s prominent location prohibited the use of conventional exhaust systems. K&A had to work directly with the park district and the city to establish HVAC systems that would be aesthetically pleasing and yet discharge the exhaust and flue systems without causing a nuisance to park patrons.

The largest challenge was to incorporate an air purification system that could cleanse the grease-laden air and discharge it outdoors at grade level within an occupied area. This was achieved by providing a system that not only conventionally filtered the air but also included ultra-violet pre-filtering of the grease exhaust.

The electrical service was new and connected to ComEd switchgear located in the parking facility below. Due to coordination issues with the park district and ComEd, temporary generator power was required to power the restaurant until full electrical service could be provided to the site. Separate distribution was provided for the main and remote areas of the restaurant. A Marlin dimming system provides effective, pleasing lighting design.

Contact Person
James Lencioni, AIA
President
Aria Group Architects
Oak Park, Illinois
708-445-8400