Brickstone Realty
The Lits Building

A comprehensive revitalization is underway to reposition this historic nineteenth-century landmark as a modern creative hub.

By updating the core spaces, the design breathes new life into the building to attract and retain tenants, ensuring it meets contemporary needs while honoring its storied past. Intricate and bespoke, the renovation celebrates the individuality of the Lits Building, making it a beacon of heritage and innovation for future generations.

As part of a long-term strategy, design initiatives will focus on different aspects of the transformation: first impressions, tenant experience, and leasing appeal. The initial phase anchors the building’s new identity by introducing a conference center and an iconic tenant lounge showcasing historic wood paneling painted in bold jewel tones.

Initially installed in Independence Hall in 1831, the paneling was salvaged in 1961 and positioned in the Lits Building in the 1980s. This unique feature, juxtaposed against an exposed steel structure and whimsical upholsteries, shapes a playful, comfortable environment that resonates with an agile demographic.

Obsolete space types were modified, transforming a series of pass-through gallery spaces into a vibrant hub that communicates a creative and welcoming identity for moving forward. Reimagined circulation patterns improve wayfinding, making the building more navigable and welcoming.

Comprised of thirty-three separate structures spanning an entire city block, the Lits Building presented an intriguing complexity with its quirky and inconsistent blueprint. Rather than conceal these characteristics, IA’s approach embraces them, drawing on the building’s history as a department store renowned for its textiles and fashion offerings. This reference to the past is artfully integrated through a blend of original details, modern twists on color schemes and contrasts, and the strategic exposure of structural components.

Uniting Lit Brothers' signature branding with floral motifs and patterns that celebrate original department store textiles, the composition interlaces past and present. Vibrant magenta and playful modern forms and fabrics create a dynamic, contemporary ambiance. Experiential design elements such as a neon-like logo sign and large-scale graphic wallcovering installations enhance the aesthetic without compromising the building’s historic interior façades.

The revitalization also features a new security desk, upgraded elevator lobbies, bike storage, and renovated reception. These improvements collectively form a hospitality-focused user experience that draws tenants inside. Future phases will incorporate upgrades to public corridors and the atrium, enhanced branding and graphics, tenant floor improvements, and the relocation of the building management office.

Photography by © Jeffrey Totaro