Nick Cave studio – The Facility

In Chicago, on the border between Old Irving Park and Kilbourn Park, a 20-minute drive from the Loop, a rundown former textile factory, which had been dormant for the past decade, was thoughtfully rebuilt and combined with two adjoining properties. In the fall of 2018, shortly after it was completed, the newly renovated storefront windows were unveiled with giant text that boldly proclaimed: ‘Love Thy Neighbor’. With this statement, the building reopened and Facility was born.

Created by artist Nick Cave and designer Bob Faust, the new complex is home to a range of enterprises: Cave Studio, Faust Studio, and the partners’ joint ventures, SoundsuitShop and the Facility Foundation, While the building’s first floor was designed to streamline their work, a fast-paced production of interdisciplinary collaborations, art-making, and public programs, the second floor is its Zen counterbalance: sparse, gallery-inspired living quarters where the clients can unwind and appreciate the work of other artists.

The complex encompasses a total of 18,000 S.F. and construction was completed in two phases over the course of three years in very close collaboration with the Architect and client.