Our Legacy
For more than 100+ years we have been serving various industries & project types with excellence and expertise
This is the successor firm of several partnerships since Jens J. Jensen, Sr. began his practice in 1915 in downtown Chicago. Jens J. Jensen, Jr., President, became a partner in 1956 and is CEO. Currently, Jarrett J. Jensen, ALA, NCARB Architect & Planner is currently President of the firm. Jensen & Jensen has been performing professional services continuously since it’s inception, producing over 2500 projects in the Metro-Chicago land area alone. Some early notable buildings include the historic “300 West Adams Office Building” (1926), and “Gyon Hotel” (4000 West Washington Blvd. at Pulaski, 1927) both landmarks by Jens J. Jensen, Sr. The firm is registered with the Chicago Historical Society.
From the 1930’s through the 1950’s the firm focused on and produced mainly commercial architecture of which office and retail buildings were the majority. Literally hundreds of Jewel and Jewel/Osco combination stores were built in and around Chicago by Jensen & Jensen during the last 4 decades, a lasting relationship and track record of which we are very proud.
We continue to specialize in commercial and residential Architecture and Engineering today including store buildings, shopping centers, office buildings as well as Master Planning. Over the last thirty years we have produced a wide variety of projects and building types ranging from small scale residential and institutional, to religious and assembly, to large scale mixed-use and multi-story office and retail projects.
Our typical client base consists of a wide variety of local and national store chains and both private and corporate developers, property owners, and managers. At Jensen & Jensen we enjoy growing with our clients and have done so through a professional commitment to on-time, within budget project completion.
100+ Years of Innovation & Success
Jens J. Jensen Sr Founds Firm
Jens J Jensen began his practice in 1915. In the mid-1920s, he formed a powerful creative partnership with developer George W. Prassas, and succeeded in being the architect for several of Prassas’ block-size multi-use developments on Chicago’s North and West sides. Jensen’s designs typically included sidewalk-level commercial storefronts and one to two stories of apartment residences above, all wrapped in elegant Classical Revival style facades of gleaming glazed terra cotta.
Some early notable buildings include the historic “300 West Adams Office Building” (1926), and “Gyon Hotel” (4000 West Washington Blvd. at Pulaski, 1927) both landmarks by Jens J. Jensen, Sr. The firm is registered with the Chicago Historical Society.
Invented the Supermarket Shopping Experience
Jens J. Jensen reinvented his office following the Great Depression by bringing in new clientele. Jensen forged a new relationship with the Charles L. Schrager Company, a developer for the Chicago-based Jewel Food Stores. He helped invent the burgeoning retail experience of supermarket shopping and in the process developed a new personal style that appealed to mid-20th Century America’s fast-changing tastes in architecture and design.
Jensen & Jensen Architects
Jens J. Jensen’s son, Jens J. Jensen, Jr., joined his father’s firm in 1955. Jens, Jr. studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his training in modern architecture helped reshape the output of his father’s firm. The renamed office of Jensen & Jensen continued its close relationship with Jewel stores, developing several prototype stores for the supermarket chain as it expanded out into Chicago’s suburbs. . Literally hundreds of Jewel and Jewel/Osco combination stores were built in and around Chicago by Jensen & Jensen during the last 4 decades, a lasting relationship and track record of which we are very proud.
Growth & Expansion Continue Through Today
Jarrett J. Jensen, ALA, NCARB Architect & Planner is currently President of the firm. Jensen & Jensen has been performing professional services continuously since its inception, producing over 2500 projects in the Metro-Chicago land area alone. We continue to specialize in commercial and residential Architecture and Engineering including store buildings, shopping centers, office buildings, as well as Master Planning.
Over the last thirty years we have produced a wide variety of projects and building types ranging from small scale residential and institutional, to religious and assembly, to large scale mixed-use and multi-story office and retail projects.
