Inside Chicago’s Merchandise Mart: History, Architecture & the Watchful Sculpted Heads
- 123gochicago
- Nov 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Few buildings in Chicago embody the city’s bold architectural DNA like The Merchandise Mart. Sitting along the Chicago River with more than four million square feet of space, “the Mart” was once the largest building in the world—and it still feels like a city within a city.
When it opened in 1930, The Merchandise Mart was created to streamline buying and selling in Chicago’s booming retail market. It was developed and originally owned by Marshall Field & Company, who envisioned a single destination where retailers could access everything from clothing and housewares to furniture and décor.
In 1945, the Mart entered a new era when Joseph P. Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy family, purchased the building in what was then the largest commercial real estate deal in the United States. Under Kennedy family ownership, the Mart grew into a global center for design, furnishings, and wholesale commerce. The Kennedys retained control for more than 50 years before selling the building in 1998, closing one of the most famous chapters in Chicago real estate history.
The Mart’s Art Deco design is one of its most recognizable features: clean vertical lines, geometric forms, limestone detailing, and a dramatic fortress-like massing.Inside, the lobby’s bronze accents, patterned marble, and soaring proportions preserve the glamour of 1930s architecture.
Many visitors never notice one of the Mart’s most charming details: the stylized sculpted heads along its exterior walls. These carved faces represent merchants, architects, and designers associated with the building’s early commercial history. They’re easy to miss—making them a perfect hidden gem.
Today, the Mart is a thriving design hub filled with:
Interior design showrooms
Technology and innovation companies
High-end home furnishings
Pop-up exhibits and art installations
The building continues to evolve, blending its historic purpose with modern creativity and commerce. Positioned along the Chicago Riverwalk, the Merchandise Mart offers one of the best spots for architecture lovers. After sunset, its massive south façade becomes a giant canvas for Art on the Mart, the largest permanent digital art projection in the world.
Merchandise Mart
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza
Chicago, IL 60654
Discover More Hidden Gems
For more hidden gems check out my book Chicago Beyond the Bean, available now. It’s filled with stories that take you beyond the typical tourist spots to explore the city’s most fascinating corners.