Coming Out of Its Shell

Designed specifically for Saks Fifth Avenue, the Saks Building occupies a prominent corner in Cincinnati’s quickly developing Convention District. But one would never know that from within the building. Neither its existing window displays nor the skywalk encircling its upper floors enabled light to penetrate its hefty brick walls.

That is not unusual for a department store. But when its original tenant vacated and it was slated for conversion into office and restaurant space, views and light became essential ways of connecting people inside the building to the activity outside of it. The challenge for the renovation was doing this on a relatively small budget while also negotiating a tangle of easements— most notably, preserving the third floor’s use as a ballroom—that connect it to the hotel next door.

While preserving the building’s distinctive geometry by leaving its monolithic brick corners intact, the renovation will remove the skywalk from its upper floors. It will also replace its uninterrupted brick walls with a series of large, recessed windows that open it to the outside. Earthy red terracotta panels frame the windows, integrating them into the remaining brick façade.

At its most prominent corner, the building’s activities will spill out toward the sidewalk as office workers enjoy events on the second-floor balcony and diners savor their al fresco meals on the restaurant’s patio.

Overflowing with light and activity, the renovated space will not only enrich the life on the street, but it will extend the life of the building’s embodied carbon.