The Peninsula Chicago has unveiled its newest meeting space. With the redesign by New York-based Bill Rooney Studio of what once was The Bar into The Millennium Park room, there are now 11 meeting venues in the property.
Measuring 1,572 square feet, The Millennium Park room is tailored to mid-sized events of up to 150 guests. The space has an organic-inspired design that blends contemporary touches, including a sculptural chandelier, with the room’s heritage elements.
A hand-tufted carpet featured elsewhere in the hotel, its pattern reminiscent of lily pads in a pond, was the inspiration for the room’s aesthetic, which pulls in natural elements most notably through wood veneer inlays on the walls. The organic design and palette of blues and grays extends to the ombre effect of the carpet and to the crystal chandelier above, which was fabricated by Lasvit, which specializes in bespoke lighting installations.
Custom panels that anchor one wall were crafted with blue wax paint in the geometric style of sashiko, a form of decorative embroidery with Japanese origins. The panels are a functional artistic statement: They slide open to reveal a serving buffet and behind it, a black marble feature wall. Artwork previously showcased in The Bar, including original Le Corbusier lithographs, remain as visual punctuations in the space, as does a grand fireplace on the wall opposite the serving buffet.
The other venues at The Peninsula Chicago include the 4,872-square-foot grand ballroom; The Terrace that can accommodate up to 320 guests; the 1,800-square-foot Avenues ballroom can seat up to 180; and Z Bar rooftop lounge with a private salon that can seat up to 14 guests and additional seating on the adjoining private outdoor terrace with views of the Magnificent Mile.