JPC Interior Design

1972

The interiors of the Johnson Publishing Company’s Chicago headquarters were designed to be both functional and attractive. Each floor of the 11-story building had its own color scheme and most featured open floor plans with large offices and workstations. Spaces were decorated with bold patterns and fabrics, modern furniture, and artwork by African American artists. The sixth-floor lobby, pictured above, displayed a painting by Eldzier Cortor and a Dogon mask. Founder John H. Johnson wanted the designs throughout the building to make a “really bold, positive statement about the company’s commitment to the black people it serves.”