4 East Elm

4 East Elm is an exclusive, luxury tower in Chicago’s affluent Gold Coast, designed for privacy and individualized for a boutique experience. Built by architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz with interior design by Gary Lee Partners, the tower is made up of 35 luxury units spanning half and full floors with stunning views of the Chicago Skyline and lakefront. Morlights designed lighting for the entire building with a particular focus on highlighting the tower’s impressive materiality and finishes.

With a lighting design encompassing exteriors to pool deck, garage to theater, Morlights used high-end finishes and materials to complement the tower’s sophisticated design. We worked extensively with the architecture of the building to anticipate potential lighting problems, and implemented solutions that limited the need for future updates. In all areas, we made sure that lighting complemented and directed views to the lake and skyline, and we used downlights in carefully planned patterns throughout the interiors for a cohesive design. We also added recessed linear LED lights in the theater, kitchen, and gym to reduce glare, and updated several of the tenant spaces with advanced lighting for superior control and flexibility. Finally, the pool deck was outfitted with edge and railing lighting for a sophisticated glow, emblematic of the tower’s aesthetic. This building achieved its sustainability goals with an LEED certification, and has been an extremely popular option for the Gold Coast neighborhood.