CLUBS + HOTELS
Midtown Athletic Club
Palatine, IL
Midtown Athletic Club in Palatine, Illinois, is a transformative 46,000-square-foot renovation, elevating it to the premium standards of the flagship Chicago location. The club now features revitalized boutique fitness spaces, three state-of-the-art indoor pickleball courts, and introduces The Library—a visionary new concept. The Library expands wellness into the work and social realm, offering a co-working space mingled with a communal lounge. DMAC’s hospitality-centric approach to the renovation makes the Palatine location the latest Midtown destination for comprehensive health and wellness.
The renovation transcends mere upgrades, fundamentally enhancing the member experience to be more welcoming, engaging, relaxing, comfortable, and community-focused. Details, materials, lighting and intuitive wayfinding mattered. Members are visually guided to the entry marked by an architectural canopy of thermally-modified ash that continues into the interior reception. Inside the lobby, a dramatic full-height bookcase introduces The Library. Shelves are stacked with cover-less books,
softly lit from behind for a warm glow. Interspersed on the shelves are acrylic blocks etched on the spine with quotes from tennis legends to further engage and connect to Midtown’s origins as a tennis club. The result is an art wall that doubles as an elegant backdrop to Midtown’s new electronic media board.
The lobby, library and cafe are designed with porous boundaries to facilitate social connections while naturally managing fluid circulation. Subtle design gestures, like the intentional absence of power outlets at cafe tables, encourages members to use The Library for extended work. More dramatic moves, like raising the cafe floor 3 feet to align with the lobby and library, frame the view of The Field, creating another focal point and effortless navigation to the fitness floor.
DMAC’s holistic transformation positions Midtown Palatine as a premier lifestyle club where members can seamlessly blend fitness, work and community in a thoughtfully curated environment.
