Salvation Army | thom chiu

Salvation army Family Thrift Store

Downtown, Chicago

(Academic Project)

School of The Art Institute of Chicago

Individual Design Project

Site Environment Research Team: Thomas Chiu (Lead), Hayoung Kwon,
Ivy Wang, Jasmine Gao.

Instructor: Cynthia Coleman, Thomas Kong

The Salvation Army Family Thrift Store is one of many services provided by The Salvation Army Church, an Non-Profit Organization.

In this project, we are assigned to re-purpose a weathered carpark building into a thrift shop.

Thrift shopping is both an economical and sustainable life-style that shouldn’t be limited to the low-income population.

By focusing on the unique treasure-hunting experience of thrift shopping, this project aims to enhance and promote the experience of thrift shopping, and the benefits of adapting to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Site Environment Survey

Located right next to the Loop, an area in downtown Chicago marked by an elevated railway, our project site is one of few yet-to-be developed lots with a severely weathered car park building currently occupied by various businesses.

The existing building itself is unadorned and forgotten by the surrounding due to the run-down appearance and the crude occupation of businesses.

Despite the poor condition of the building, it does have features with potentials that can be utilized in an alternative way. For instance, the ramps that take cars up and down the building will be an interesting way for circulation inside the building.

The Experience of
Salvation Army Family Thrift Store

One of the most enjoyable experience shared by all shoppers at Salvation Army is the sense of treasure-hunting. The anticipation of not knowing what you will find is unique to any shopping experience, and is what kept enticing shoppers to come back.

The current state of thrift shops is reasonably organized. Items are usually cluttered in their designated zones. Some items are unintentionally misplaced, but in this particular environment, it can be charming.

Alternative Experience of Thrift Shopping

How can the treasure hunting experience be enhanced? And, how can the shopping experience be more engaging?

Cross-Programming Salvation Army Family Thrift Store

Conventional programming strategies are functional but often expected. In the case of thrift shop, this expected programming could take away from the treasure hunting experience, which is an essential thrift shopping experience.

To make the spatial arrangement and sequence more in line with the idea of treasure hunting, we investigated different cross-programing strategies.
Through this method, a series of unexpected juxtaposition occurs between spaces. This tension generates intriguing moments in the building.