The John Marshall Law School, Student Commons

The John Marshall Law School (JMLS) is a distinguished institution of legal education, situated at the epicenter of Chicago’s vibrant South Loop Education Corridor. The student commons project transforms a former Walgreens retail space into the primary campus student interactive space. It engages the school environment with the broader urban context, creates a collaborative cyber cafe for collegial discourse, and offers hard-working students a place to buy a meal and school supplies—all while establishing a prominent main entrance on Chicago’s famous State Street.

JMLS is a vertical, urban law school, housed in a former department store with unusually tall floor-to-floor heights. To take advantage of these heights, the first-floor curtainwall was rebuilt, flooding the entry and student lounge areas with light and urban views, while showcasing the school activities for the sidewalk passersby. These light-filled gathering spaces wrap around the new cyber cafe and bookstore. 

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