Manifest MusicTown · Homan Square, Chicago

Music Mecca

The Soul of Chicago. The Sound of Tomorrow.
Former Sears Administration Building · 3333 W. Arthington Street
A Golden Hour Vision

Reimagined as a vibrant, immersive Music Mecca where history, culture and community collide in a celebration of music, heritage and hope.

History Preserved Community Connected Culture Empowered Future Inspired
The main performance hall at Music Mecca: a full band on stage beneath a circular lighting rig, the Chicago skyline projected across the back wall, and a packed standing crowd.
Level 1 — The Gateway

The Pulse

High-energy. Transparent. Welcoming.

Live music, exhibitions, food, retail, and community gathering — the heartbeat of the building, open to the street and to everyone.

A gospel performance at Music Mecca: a robed choir on a golden-lit stage with a standing congregation, hands raised.
Under One Roof

The Gospel Music Experience

Faith. Harmony. Legacy.

Honoring the choirs, the testimony, and the spiritual sound that gave Chicago some of its most enduring music.

The immersive music history gallery at Music Mecca: towering murals of musicians and the Great Migration, glass cases of gold records and instruments, and visitors exploring.
Under One Roof

The Immersive Music History Gallery

Celebrate the legacy. Inspire the next generation.

From the Great Migration forward — gospel, blues, jazz, soul, house, and hip-hop — Chicago's story told not behind glass, but all around you.

Inside the Walls

Many Worlds, One Landmark

A concert at Music Mecca with the Chicago skyline projected across a giant arched screen, flanked by murals of a vocalist and a saxophonist.
Live, on the Chicago skyline
A futuristic concert at Music Mecca with luminous blue holographic performers and an aurora-lit Chicago skyline.
The sound of tomorrow
A gospel service at Music Mecca with a radiant figure of light projected above the choir and a standing congregation.
When the room becomes a sanctuary
A gospel celebration at Music Mecca with a choir in white, a sunburst of light, and gospel singers projected across the side walls.
Gospel and testimony
Visitors in the Music Mecca history gallery, with a family rendered in glowing light walking among murals of Chicago's musical legends.
Built for the next generation
The Anatomy of a Landmark

Five Levels, One Building

From the Gateway at street level to the Crown on the roof — performance, creation, education, and celebration under one roof, inside a building strengthened and restored for the next hundred years.

The full Music Mecca design board, showing all five levels of the building, its feature spaces, the building cross-section, and the planned structural and energy upgrades. Tap to view full size

Level 1 — The Gateway / The Pulse

Live music, exhibitions, food, retail, and community gathering.

Levels 2–3 — The Creative Core

Artist studios, labs, recording rooms, education spaces, and collaboration hubs.

Levels 4–5 — The Crown

Natural light and high ceilings, creative lounges, private events, and a rooftop celebration with skyline views.

Built to Last

Structural strengthening, new HVAC and energy systems, restored daylight, and full life-safety and accessibility — designed community-first.

Tap the board above to enlarge, or download the full design board.

The Music Mecca is the anchor — and around it rises the larger MusicTown vision: a living cultural district built on Chicago's own legacy.

Read the Full Vision Tell Us Where You Fit