Members of Epstein's Architecture Studio Visit S.C. Johnson

A group from Epstein’s architecture studio and their families toured the S.C. Johnson campus headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin this past weekend. The group toured Fortaleza Hall, a project which Epstein served as architect and interior designer of record (as well as provided civil engineering services) along with Foster + Partners, the London-based design firm led by world-renown architect Lord Norman Foster.

This 68,000-square-foot building is comprised of Fortaleza Hall, a 20,000-square-foot museum/exhibition center, and The Commons, an employee amenity structure, which includes a 750-employee cafeteria, a bank, company store, concierge service, coffee shop, and fitness center. Fortaleza Hall was constructed in the early 2000’s and honors the 1935 expedition to Fortaleza, Brazil taken by H.F. Johnson (third generation Johnson family) to research the process for harvesting wax from the leaves of the Carnauba palm, the basis for Johnson’s wax. The campus is also well-known for the Administration Building and Research Tower, both designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Attendees included David Tichy, Jeffrey McQuiston, Simon Cygielski, Terence Russell, and Laura Rebbe.

The S.C. Johnson Fortaleza Hall project landed at #60 in our Celebrating a Century Top 100 List.