flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Glass installation depicts Chicago landscape at O’Hare Terminal 5 expansion

Glass and Glazing

Glass installation depicts Chicago landscape at O’Hare Terminal 5 expansion

The art was inspired by NASA satellite imagery.


By David Barista, Editorial Director | October 12, 2017
Decorative Vitro glass installation in O'Hare airports Terminal 5 expansion
Decorative Vitro glass installation in O'Hare airports Terminal 5 expansion

As part of a $26 million renovation of the International Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, design architect Epstein commissioned a decorative glass installation for a two-story interior curtain wall that serves as a partition separating secured and non-secured areas of the terminal.

Starphire Ultra-Clear glass panels fabricated by Goldray Industries line up against one another and create a continuous image that shows the gradual changes in color and texture that can be seen when heading inland from Lake Michigan to Chicago and on to Illinois’ rural cornfields. The panels were created with Dip-Tech digital printing technology, which uses a flat-bed printer to print high-resolution images on glass.

The panels depict lakes, shallow shores, city buildings, and farmland in a collage of rectangles and squares. The art was inspired by NASA satellite imagery. Transparent rectangles filter natural light from windows and skylights without diminishing the curtainwall’s privacy function.

Related Stories

Sponsored | | May 24, 2018

Accelerate Live! sponsor talk: The impact of new fire rated glazing technologies to design, performance, and the environment

In this 10-minute sponsor talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), Tim Nass, VP of Sales with SAFTI FIRST Fire Rated Glazing Solutions, details emerging applications for fire rated glazing technology.

| Apr 27, 2018

SAFTI FIRST receives U.S. Patent for fire resistive glass floor system up to 2 hours

USA-made GPX FireFloor System receives U.S. Patent 9,926,709 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Sponsored | Glass and Glazing | Apr 4, 2018

The benefits of well-designed spaces in today's public workplace

Combining today’s collaborative spaces with workers’ needs.

75 Top Building Products | Mar 22, 2018

101 Top Products: Glass + Glazing

Among the best glass + glazing products included in BD+C's Top 101 Products report are Guardian Industries' CrystalBlue Glass, SageGlass's Electrochromic Glass, and Technical Glass Products’ Fireframes TimberLine Series.

Sponsored | Glass and Glazing | Mar 20, 2018

'A sense of place': Connectivity and healing at ProMedica Health and Wellness Center

With 23 interconnected standard clinic modules, the center is designed for ease of movement for patients, staff and supplies.

Glass and Glazing | Mar 5, 2018

New $5 Billion Apple Headquarters Has a Glass Problem

The substantial use of glass on the interior of Apple Park has caused headaches for some employees, literally.

Sponsored | Glass and Glazing | Feb 1, 2018

Subtle or striking, always flexible

Interior design possibilities with the latest interior glass products

Sponsored | Glass and Glazing | Nov 21, 2017

Back-painted glass: Luxury effects made easy

Products that give an elevated energy to their environment are important for builders and designers to consider.

Glass and Glazing | Nov 20, 2017

Smart glass maximizes comfort at Bowie State University

By blocking sunlight on hot days, the electrochromic glass will help reduce energy demand in the building.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021