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Chicago’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery made its exit stairwell part of the visitor experience by enclosing it in transparent, floor-to-ceiling fire-resistive glazing. The arrangement lets people see a four-story coffee-growing mural by Chicago artist Eulojio Ortega while moving between levels, while the stair enclosure still uses tested fire-rated assemblies. The project sources describe a design intent—not proof that visitors used the stairs more often—and the published specifications come from a manufacturer-authored case study.
What makes the Chicago Starbucks Reserve stairwell unusual?
Most exit stairs are designed to disappear into the building: opaque walls, protected doors and minimal visual distraction. At the Chicago Roastery, the stairwell was deliberately made visible. A transparent wall allows the mural to read as a vertical artwork rather than a series of disconnected panels seen from separate landings.
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The Building Design + Construction case study says the Roastery opened in November 2019 as a five-story, 35,000-square-foot facility. The article described it at publication as the world’s largest Starbucks and the company’s sixth global roastery, but those were historical descriptions in a February 2020 report, not current rankings.
The stair is therefore doing two jobs at once: providing a code-required egress route and framing a major piece of the interior program. The sources do not provide before-and-after stair counts, visitor surveys or other measured evidence that the transparent design increased stair use. “Unforgettable” describes the project’s design ambition and published narrative, not a quantified behavioral outcome.
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How does the glazing reveal the mural?
Ortega’s mural depicts coffee-growing and extends four stories. With conventional opaque stair walls, visitors would encounter the artwork only at selected openings or landings. The transparent enclosure keeps portions of the mural in view across multiple floors, so the composition can be read while people climb or descend.
The case study identifies the stairwell wall assembly as SuperLite II-XLB 120 with Starphire Ultra-Clear glass, assembled in GPX Architectural Series framing. The “120” designation is presented as part of the named product configuration; it should not be read as a standalone project approval. Fire-resistance ratings apply to a tested and listed assembly, including its framing, glass, joints and installation details.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The design also uses butt-glazing. Instead of placing a conventional vertical mullion between every panel, adjacent pieces meet at a joint, producing a more continuous field of glass. That treatment reduces visual interruptions in the mural and supports the gallery-like effect. It does not remove the need for properly engineered perimeter framing, fire-rated joints and a listing that covers the exact configuration.
What glass and framing were specified?
| Location | Glass and assembly identified in the case study | Design purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Exit-stair walls | SuperLite II-XLB 120 with Starphire Ultra-Clear glass in GPX Architectural Series framing | Transparent, butt-glazed fire-resistive enclosure with views to the mural |
| Stair entrance doors | SuperLite II-XL 90 with Starphire Ultra-Clear vision panels in GPX Builders Series Temperature Rise doors | Large glazed vision panels at the protected stair entrance |
These names and applications come from the SAFTI FIRST project case study and its related product description. They are useful starting points for a design team, but a current project still needs the manufacturer’s latest technical literature, a project-specific shop drawing review and approval by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
How large were the transparent panels?
The project description reports that the largest individual pieces installed in the stair enclosure were more than 10 feet tall and more than 4 feet wide. The same material attributes a maximum SuperLite II-XLB clear-view dimension of 133 inches in height or width and a maximum clear-view area of 7,980 square inches to SAFTI FIRST.
Those figures are manufacturer-reported product specifications, not independent measurements made for this article. “Clear-view” area also differs from overall frame-to-frame size: edge conditions, setting blocks, joints and framing reduce the uninterrupted view available to a visitor. A designer should confirm allowable dimensions for the exact rating, orientation, support condition and fabrication method rather than scale the published maximum directly into a drawing.
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Large panes create practical coordination issues in addition to fire performance. The team must check shipping routes, hoisting, temporary protection, tolerances, glass weight, replacement access and the sequence for installing adjacent finishes. Butt joints need compatible fire-rated sealants and carefully controlled workmanship; a visually minimal joint is still a critical part of the rated assembly.
Why use fire-resistive glazing instead of ordinary fire-protective glass?
The stair walls were described as fire-resistive glazing, which is intended to maintain both integrity and temperature-control performance for the stated duration when used in its listed assembly. Ordinary fire-protective glazing is generally used in narrower applications and may have different limits on size, temperature transmission and placement. The relevant distinction is not simply whether a pane carries the words “fire rated,” but whether the complete wall or door assembly is listed for the required exposure.
For this Roastery stair, optical clarity and large tested or listed panel sizes were central to the selection described in the case study. The clear glass helps preserve the mural’s colors and sightlines, while the fire-resistive wall assembly supports the protected-egress function. A specification should state the required rating, test standard, framing system, joint treatment and maximum permitted dimensions together.
Project teams should avoid substituting a different “clear” fire glass product because it looks similar. Color, haze, thickness, edge details and compatibility with the listed frame can change the tested performance. The correct comparison is assembly against assembly, not a glass sample against a glass sample.
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What is special about the stair entrance doors?
The case study identifies SuperLite II-XL 90 with Starphire Ultra-Clear glass in GPX Builders Series Temperature Rise doors, with GPX Architectural Series perimeter framing at the entrance. The door vision panels were selected to maintain a broad view into the stair while meeting the described temperature-rise door requirements.
The manufacturer’s explanation says this configuration allowed a larger vision panel than the 100-square-inch limitation it cites for fire-protective glazing in the described 60- to 90-minute temperature-rise door context. That is the case study’s product-and-code explanation, not an independent interpretation of the project’s permit documents. The sources reviewed do not identify the adopted Chicago code edition, the permit conditions or the AHJ’s written approval.
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Door assemblies are especially sensitive to substitutions. The leaf, glazing, beads, closer, hinges, frame, gasketing and temperature-rise construction must match the listed system. A larger vision panel cannot be justified by wall-glazing data alone, and a wall product cannot automatically be installed in a door.
What should a similar project compare before choosing a system?
A transparent stair can be achieved only after the design team defines the fire, visual and construction requirements together. The most useful comparison questions are:
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- What rating is required? Confirm the duration and whether the code calls for a fire-resistance-rated wall, a fire barrier, a smoke enclosure or another protected construction type.
- Which tested or listed assembly fits? Review the complete wall or door listing, not just the glass name. Check framing, mullion or butt-joint conditions, perimeter details and approved sealants.
- How large can the clear view be? Verify maximum height, width and area for the exact configuration. Published product maxima may not apply to every orientation or support condition.
- Is butt-glazing permitted? Confirm that the desired joint pattern is covered by the listing and can be installed with the required fire-rated materials and tolerances.
- How neutral must the glass look? Compare visible color, reflection, haze and distortion under the project’s lighting. Ultra-clear glass can be important when artwork is the visual objective.
- What are the door requirements? Treat temperature-rise doors and their vision panels as a separate design problem. Confirm the listed size, rating, hardware and frame combination.
- Who approves the interpretation? Obtain the architect’s code analysis, the glazing manufacturer’s technical support and the AHJ’s acceptance before fabrication.
The Chicago installation demonstrates one possible solution to these questions; it is not a universal detail that can be copied without review.
What does the project’s scale add to the design story?
The Roastery’s reported 35,000 square feet and five stories make the stair a prominent interior route rather than a small service stair. The project overview also describes a 56-foot central cask, another element that contributes to the building’s vertical experience. Those figures help explain why a protected stair was treated as part of the visitor journey.
The mural’s four-story height gives the transparent enclosure a clear architectural payoff: a person on one level can see activity and artwork extending above and below. In a smaller building, the same approach might produce a less dramatic result, while a taller building would require careful study of sightlines, smoke control, maintenance and the visual continuity of the artwork.
Which architect is credited?
Published credits are inconsistent. Building Design + Construction lists Perkins + Will as architect, while the SAFTI FIRST case-study page lists Solomon Cordwell Buenz. Both sources name Pepper Construction as general contractor and SG Metal & Glass as glazing contractor.
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Because the available sources do not resolve the discrepancy, it should be reported rather than silently “corrected.” It may reflect different scopes, editorial credits or a source error, but the available data does not establish which explanation is right.
What can this case teach architects and contractors?
The strongest lesson is to set the visual objective before selecting the glass. Here, the team wanted visitors to experience a mural through the stair, so optical clarity, uninterrupted sightlines and large panels were treated as functional requirements alongside fire protection.
The second lesson is to coordinate the wall and door systems early. The stair wall, entrance doors and perimeter framing are related visually but are not interchangeable technically. Their ratings, listings, dimensions and installation tolerances must be coordinated in the architectural details and submittals.
Finally, document the limits of the evidence. The published material supports the product descriptions, reported dimensions and design intent. It does not establish visitor behavior, permit compliance, current code status or independent performance testing of the completed installation. A project team using the Roastery as inspiration should treat it as a precedent to investigate, not as a substitute for current engineering and code review.
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A robust package should identify the required rating and test basis on the code drawings, name the exact listed assembly, and show every perimeter, sill, head, corner and butt-joint condition. It should include the door listing and vision-panel limits separately, plus manufacturer letters or engineering judgments where the listing requires clarification.
Submittals should also address glass orientation, edge protection, joint sealants, frame anchorage, tolerances and replacement strategy. Mock-ups can help the owner evaluate color and reflections, but a visual mock-up does not prove fire performance. The rated assembly remains governed by its listing and the AHJ’s approval.
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Why this approach matters beyond one coffee shop
Protected circulation is often treated as leftover space, yet it can carry art, daylight or orientation value when the code-approved assembly supports transparency. The Chicago stair shows how a circulation route can become an interpretive device: climbing reveals the scale of the mural, while the mural gives the stair a destination-like character.
That strategy is most persuasive when the building’s program rewards lingering and discovery. It may be less appropriate where privacy, glare control, security or smoke-management objectives dominate. The right question is not whether every stair should be transparent, but whether the project can justify the additional coordination in exchange for a meaningful spatial experience.
What is the bottom line for fire-rated glass stair design?
The Chicago Starbucks Reserve case combines a four-story mural with large, transparent fire-resistive stair glazing so the artwork remains visible during circulation. SuperLite II-XLB 120 in GPX Architectural Series framing forms the cited stair-wall solution, while SuperLite II-XL 90 in GPX Builders Series Temperature Rise doors addresses the entrance. The concept is compelling, but the manufacturer-reported dimensions and code explanation must be verified against current listings, project drawings and local approval before anyone adapts the detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a transparent stair enclosure be used in any building?
No. Transparency depends on the building’s occupancy, height, egress strategy, required rating and the exact listed assembly. The architect and AHJ must confirm that a suitable wall and door system is permitted for the project.
Does fire-resistive glass eliminate the need for sprinklers or smoke control?
No. Glazing is only one part of a life-safety strategy. Sprinklers, alarms, smoke control, door self-closing, stair pressurization and other requirements remain governed by the adopted code and the project’s design.
How do owners maintain large fire-rated glass panels?
Maintenance plans should cover cleaning methods, inspection of frames and joints, protection from impact and a documented replacement procedure. Replacement glass and framing components must match the listed assembly; ordinary storefront glass is not an acceptable substitute.
Is ultra-clear glass completely invisible?
No. Even low-iron glass has reflections, edge visibility and possible distortion that vary with lighting and viewing angle. A project mock-up can help evaluate the artwork experience, but it does not replace fire-performance documentation.
