The broadcasting heritage of 190 North State Street, where Chicago’s ABC7 is located, is famous. The building, with its white terra cotta façade, was originally a theater. It later housed the earliest television and radio stations in Chicago.

Now the building is gaining attention as a tourist attraction, thanks to its twisty new outdoor display and large windows that allow the public to peer in and watch the goings-on in a working television studio.

The 42-by-8-foot display sculpture, designed by Shen Milsom & Wilke with Legat Architects, includes news, computer graphics, animation, and live video. It is composed of 6-inch-square LED tiles in a steel frame. The twist is an optical illusion; all of the tiles are flat. The illusion is accomplished by offsetting the tiles slightly to accommodate the curve while electronically manipulating the images that are displayed. These images move both vertically and horizontally.

The sculpture’s flowing form rises from the sidewalk and twists, making it readable from all angles. A ticker wraps around the building, broadcasting headlines, weather, sports scores, and community events.

Broadcasts are oriented toward the street, giving onlookers a direct view of the anchor desk and weather center. The large, curved windows let in street noise along with the view. Shen Milsom & Wilke used custom-made laminated glass to balance the need for sound isolation while providing the station’s on-air reports with the background bustle of traffic and the rumble of the nearby train lines. Acoustic finishes are used to mitigate sound and cut reflections from all that glass within the studio as well.

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