Masonry Magazine March 1980 Page. 17
Sculptured octagonal skylights provide artificial demarcation lines for three separate dining areas. Floor tile is used throughout the building.
Architectural Uplift
Gives McDonald's
New Look
The wand that transformed a single dining facility into the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the nation within the span of just 25 years cast its magic spell once again. This time the remarkable divining rod touched the exterior and interior decor of McDonald's restaurant in the Oak Brook Shopping Center in Oak Brook. III. The change resulted in a rebirth of warmth and inviting color, thanks in good measure to the generous use of brick, that unfolds before the eyes of McDonald's customers.
The Chicago architectural firm of Bernheim. Kahn & Lozano designed both the exterior and interior decor for the 5,000 sq. ft. Oak Brook facility located only a short distance from McDonald's corporate headquarters.
Patrons about to enter the facility encounter a skylight in the entry canopy. From there, one moves along gently curved masonry walls to the serving counter where rays of light from a kaleidoscopic dome do seem to open to the sky. Natural redwood walls and green foliage abound throughout the three dining areas.
"By adding strip lighting, we accented the brick and redwood walls and then adorned them with artistic works, a single wall covering that reflects copper colors and an earth-tone theme," said Fred Matthias, project manager with Bernheim. Kahn & Lozano.
"The structural lally columns, spaced 20′-0" on centers, had to be dealt with as a design element. They were covered with brick, redwood and plexiglass mirrors to blend with the walls and add interest to the depth of the facility."
General contractor for the project was Schwabe Construction. Milwaukee, Wis.. with Chicago Masonry, Inc.. Addison. Ill., the mason contractor.
(Left and below) A kaleidoscopic ceiling fixture emits light downward as if coming from an open sky. Structural lally columns are brick clad.
Curved brick walls guide customers through a turnstile to the serving counter at the McDonald's restaurant in the huge Oak Brook Shopping Center, Oak Brook, I.