Transwestern Real Estate Services (TRS) is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of 181 West Madison by SinOceanic I Ltd. Transwestern—via the purchase of MB Real Estate on January 1, 2023—has managed and leased 181 West Madison since the building first opened, with Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Leasing Mark Buth and Associate Broker John Nelson currently spearheading leasing efforts.
The 50-story, 952,559-square-foot office tower updated its tenant lounge in 2021. The 18th-floor lounge, dubbed Balance 18, features a kitchen and bar, flexible conferencing and entertaining options, a
concierge, a fitness center, a wellness room and a bike room. The onsite management
team often hosts happy hours, trivia and more in Balance 18. Other events are held throughout the year
in the building’s sprawling lobby, from elaborate holiday celebrations to ping pong tournaments and an annual March Madness free throw contest.
Codeveloped by J. Paul Beitler and Lee Miglin, 181 West Madison finished construction in 1990. Since
then, it has featured two large-scale art pieces by Frank Stella in its five-story marble lobby. The painted
sculptures, inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, still greet tenants from the lobby’s East and West
walls every morning. The building also contains modern electric and cellular data infrastructure, a LEED
Gold-certified efficiency rating, and an executive parking garage.
