Studio Visit: Hammersley Architecture & The Fine Arts Building

Hammersley Architecture is excited to invite you to visit their studio and tour the historic Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago. Built in 1884 as a factory, showroom, and service facility for Studebaker carriages, the building was transformed into an artist's colony in 1898—a legacy that continues to this day.

This self-guided tour via QR codes begins in the Fine Arts Building's lobby, where you'll take Chicago's last manually operated elevator to the 10th floor. As you make your way down, be sure to stop by Hammersley Architecture's studio on the 9th floor (#917), as well as other tenant studios showcasing current art and design works. The tour concludes on the 2nd floor at the tenant art gallery space, where you can also explore the independently-owned Exile on Bookville, a unique bookstore featuring new music and literature.

Hammersley Architecture is a progressive architecture and planning firm whose work focuses on social equity, creative programming, community engagement, and high-quality, beautiful design. Their research and grant work centers around combining useful, publicly available data, community input, and available public/underutilized properties to create meaningful, joyful, and unique public spaces within existing neighborhoods.o on the 9th floor, as well as other tenant studios showcasing current art and design works. The tour concludes on the 2nd floor at the tenant art gallery space, where you can also explore the independently-owned Exile on Bookville, a unique bookstore featuring new music and literature.