In 1926, due to the westward expansion of double-deck Wacker Drive, increased development occurred on the south riverbank. Marshall Field announced plans to build on the north bank located opposite of Wacker Driver in 1927. Owned by Marshall Field and Company, Merchandise Mart opened its doors to the public for the first time on May 5th, 1930. The structure realized Marshall Field's dream of having a single warehouse center for the entire nation and to do so, consolidated 13 different warehouses under one roof.
Merchandise Mart was designed by Chicago architectural firm, Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, with the idea of being a "city within a city.'' Construction of the facility began in 1928, and was finally completed in 1931; the final cost was estimated to be between $32-38 million. Merchandise Mart is now listed at twentieth on the list of largest buildings in the world.
Alfred Shaw designed the art-deco styling and had three buildings influence his style choices; the warehouse, department store and the skyscraper. A block of warehouses stands as the 18-story bulk of the building and ribbon piers define the windows, and corner pavilions disguise the rough edges and massive bulk of the building. The structure is opened at pedestrian level with bronze framed window on the south, east and west boundaries. The 25-story central tower has a peak in the form of a skyscraper and is located on the southern portion of the building. The portals are decorated using medallions featuring the interlocked initials MM, which stands for Merchandise Mart.
The lobby of the building is defined by 8 square marble piers, with store front windows inside aisles framed with bronze trim. With green and orange terrazzo flooring and a pattern of squares and stripes are bordered and inlaid with Merchandise Marts initials. With the exception of corridors, elevator hallways and exhibit space on the fourth floor, five acres of each upper floor were done in "raw space'' using concrete flooring.
Merchandise Mart contains more than 4,000,000 square feet of floor space, 18 floors and 25 tower floors. The structure was previously owned by the Marshall Field Family and the Kennedy family in the past. The Mart revolutionized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating all the vendors and trade under one roof.
The structure is massive in construction and serves as a monument to the early merchandising and architecture of the 20th century. The art-deco Chicago landmark provides an anchor for the daytime skyline at the junction of the Chicago River. Featuring upper levels bathed with colored floodlights, the building stands out against the nighttime skyline and darker downtown buildings. Merchandise Mart continues to be a leading retail and wholesale institution and welcomes an average of 20,000 visitors and vendors each day.
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