From the inside, the 45 degree fins facilitate an elegant display of sunlight. “We’re facing west, but because there is a tall building across the street, we’re never going to get direct sunlight into the building,” Shively says.“The best we can do is get sun from the South, and so those fins, although they don't necessarily bounce the light into the building, they themselves glow in the afternoon as the sun comes around that way. It’s a really interesting sculptural thing to appreciate from inside the space.” Photo 4 of 19 in This Chicago Architect’s Vision for a Buzzy Live/Work Space Started With a Café

This Chicago Architect’s Vision for a Buzzy Live/Work Space Started With a Café

4 of 19

From inside, the Brutalist-inspired facade’s fins create an elegant display of light. "The fins don’t necessarily bounce the light into the building, but they themselves glow in the afternoon as the sun comes around that way," Mike says. "It’s a really interesting sculptural thing to appreciate from inside the space."