WE ELEVATE THE ORDINARY
Windows On is a scalable initiative that responds to the decline in brick and mortar retail brought on by the increase in online shopping over the past two decades, the economic downturns of the 21st century, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Windows On seeks to reimagine main streets and retail districts in decline by creating temporary, alternative uses for empty storefronts. By activating these spaces through the lens of community, connection, and culture, commercial districts can take on new life, spark pride in a community, and rejuvenate a neighborhood or town —leading to new investment and growth.
Common Place Projects has created a menu of placemaking, experiential, and programming projects that can work individually or together to fit the needs of any location. Visualized below are a few activation examples that capture the spirit and potential of the Windows On initiative. To kick off the Windows On project series, Common Place Projects implemented Wabash Windows —a program which enlivened a strip of Wabash Ave. in downtown Chicago with several hand-painted murals that activated the windows of vacant storefronts.
WINDOWS ON
Urban Placemaking
PROJECT SCOPE
Mouse over the colored buildings to see more Windows On activations and read about them in more detail below
Pop-Up Shop
Temporary retail experience:
Crafts made by local artists
Seasonal garden & Seed store
Local online business
Best-of local shops
Community Project
Community-driven Content:
Artwork by local children
Responses to a creative prompt
Window mural
Programming Venue
Programming & Events:
Talks & Lectures
Workshops
Art Classes
Community Gathering Space
Performance Stage
Short-run Performances:
Dance
Theater
Comedy
Music
Art Installation
Gallery Space:
Paintings
Sculptures
Installations
Photography
Windows On Hub
Welcome Center:
Neighborhood Info
Windows On Guides
Local culture & activities
CASE STUDY: DOWNTOWN CHICAGO
PROJECT: Wabash Windows
PROJECT PARTNER: Chicago Loop Alliance
As part of Chicago Loop Alliance’s (CLA) broad Transforming Wabash initiative, CLA invited Common Place Projects to activate a strip of Wabash Ave. in Chicago’s Loop. With the street’s many vacant storefronts, Common Place Projects proposed, developed, and implemented an activation of the storefronts’ windows by curating a diverse group of artists from across the Chicagoland area and inviting them to paint murals directly onto the interior side of the glass. While each window showcased the artists’ distinct styles, a shared color palette inspired by the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus was used to tie the murals together and create a cohesive viewing experience for passersby.
The program sought to elevate the Wabash retail corridor, attract the attention of potential tenants, beautify the area for commuters and passersby, as well as provide a platform for local artists to share their work and connect people to the city and the creatives that live there.
