The Chicago Board of Trade Building Museum

Place + Property

Chicago Board of Trade Building Museum | Zoyes Creative

An immersive museum experience.

The Chicago Board of Trade Building Museum is a space dedicated to sharing the history of one of Chicago’s most iconic buildings and its dynamic organization. Located inside the building’s front entrance, the 2,000 square foot exhibit captures the legacy, spirit, and personality of the Chicago Board of Trade. With free admission, visitors can step inside and be immersed in the history of the architecture and the vibrant energy of the trading floor.

Through in-depth research and interviews, Zoyes developed an informed strategy and narrative, which eventually shaped the visual identity of the space. The story unfolds through exhibition graphics, interactive displays, historic artifacts, and carefully curated installations.

Client

R2 Companies

Chicago, IL

Scope of Work

Branded Environments
Exhibit Design

Accessed via the building’s original art-deco lobby, the Museum invites visitors to experience the unique culture that made the organization so iconic. Exhibit displays document the buildings (past and present) that housed Chicago’s commodities trading markets, the history of the profession, and the ways in which trading shaped the city itself. Historic artifacts and photography give users an intimate look at the culture that dominated the Board of Trade building for more than a century.

The layout of the space centers around an immersive theater where visitors can experience the building’s rich history and animated trading culture. Flowing floor patterns and vibrant, often conflicting, colors are inspired by the intense energy of the trading floor and the bold jackets worn by traders throughout the decades.

Cascading colors and stepped geometry merge the Museum’s vibrant palette with the vertical character of the building’s design. Displays of original buttons and a trading jacket give context to the loud colors and even louder personalities of trading floor culture.

Museum visitors are invited to interact with original editions of books and historic membership cards integrated into displays, or to listen to first-hand stories from retired traders on a vintage trading floor telephone.

Credits + Collaboration

ArchitectureGeniant + Eastlake Studio

FabricationZiken Signage

AnimationsPlayhou.se

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