Skyview: Visual elegance at former Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates

For many people, it’s hard to imagine the former Sears headquarters in its prime. Thousands of employees worked within multiple blue-green glass buildings taking up hundreds of acres in Hoffman Estates.

The 2.4 million square feet of office space is visible to passersby along Higgins Road. The architecture is simple with rectangular structures rising above parking garages.

But there are a few buildings breaking from the design. Several smaller, visually elegant buildings were constructed with wavy walls and plenty of windows.

After Sears filed for bankruptcy, a restructured Transformco emerged as the owner. Transformco put the campus up for sale two years ago and Dallas-based Compass Datacenters purchased the site in September 2023. The demolition and redevelopment of the property into a data center complex is pending.

• If you have suggestions for something you’d like to see our drone pilots photograph, email skyview@dailyherald.com with your idea.