Home > Chicago Bars & Clubs > Editorial Review > Inside: Lumen

Fulton Market is aglow, literally, with the arrival of new lounge Lumen (Latin for "light"). Marked only by its bamboo exterior and the glow from within, Lumen is the first nightlife venture for three Chicagoans who've been friends since high school--Jason Freiman, Peter Gogarty and Nick Podesta.

Once home to a meat-packing factory, the 5,000-square-foot space now resembles more of an art gallery, with white walls and a design scheme focusing on concrete, stainless steel and bamboo.

The lounge itself fills one large room: A long stainless-steel bar stretches across a mirrored back wall, a bamboo-covered DJ booth with a sliver-sized opening runs the length of another wall, a minimalist seating area of bamboo beckons from the opposite side, and the front wall of frosted windows shields you from gawking passersby.

And talk about mood lighting. Overhead, a low-voltage LED lighting and video system constantly changes color and pattern to create a different vibe. This focal point of Lumen certainly keeps you entertained when your conversation falls flat, but the only problem is you might end up achy after craning your neck to the ceiling to watch the light show all night.

That's OK--ample low-slung lounge seating fills the center of the space. And we mean low. Cocktail tables are mere inches off the ground, and the cushy modular couches are only slightly higher. Anyone in a skirt or over 6 feet tall will feel a bit awkward trying to maintain their posture while perching on the furniture.

But, we suspect the scene-seeking crowd won't mind since they'll be standing and scoping out the room, or perhaps they'll just be mesmerized by the flashing lights.

[ Karen Budell is the metromix nightlife producer. ]

Originally published May 1, 2007.

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