The City of Chicago has chosen Studio ORD’s design to move forward with on its $8.5 billion expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
The Studio ORD team consists of Chicago-based Studio Gang, STL Architects, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Corgan Associates, and Millhouse Engineering & Construction. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his administration’s Evaluation Committee made their choice just weeks before Emanuel’s tenure as Mayor will end.
The focal point of O’Hare’s expansion is a new 2.25-million-sf global terminal that will replace Terminal 2 and make connections easier for passengers coming in from Terminals 1 and 3. The project is expected to break ground in 2023, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The new Global Terminal will more than double the space in Terminal 2, with more room for additional gates, concessions, lounges, a new baggage system and improved security screening.
This Y-shaped Global Terminal will more than double the size of the existing Terminal 2. Image: Studio ORD
In its contest submission, Studio ORD described its design for the three-part terminal as suggesting the confluence of the Chicago River, whose three “branches” converge into a central, wood-accented atrium space illuminated by a dramatic, six-point glass Oculus. The terminal’s roof is supported by Y-shaped columns that resemble trees, spaced over 100 ft apart. Beneath the Oculus, a “neighborhood” unfolds around an expansive central green that could support pop-up events, music, and informal gatherings. A light-filled mezzanine, for ticketing and security, offers passengers a view of the airfield.
“Our design creates a new Chicago neighborhood that reflects the culture, traditions, and diversity of the city,” said Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang’s Founding Principal and Lead Designer. “Its exposed structure, interior streets, and bustling activity express our city’s trajectory as a center of movement, exchange, and growth.”
The design takes its inspiration from the airport’s original name—Orchard Field.
The Tribune reports that while Studio ORD’s design won, its design finished third with the public during a week-long survey period that drew more than 41,200 responses, nearly one quarter of which from Chicago residents.
The contract negotiated with Studio ORD does not require City Council approval.
Related Stories
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Airports | Dec 13, 2015
Skybridge connects a terminal and airport on each side of the U.S.-Mexico border
Cross Border Xpress is the first phase of a larger development that will include hotels and offices.
Airports | Dec 4, 2015
National Fire Protection Association drops ban on glass boarding bridges
U.S. airports can now use more aesthetically pleasing building-to-plane links.
Airports | Oct 30, 2015
HOK designs new terminal for Salt Lake City International Airport
The $1.8 billion building will have floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious central "Canyon," and energy-efficient systems. It will open in 2020.
Airports | Oct 5, 2015
Perkins+Will selected to design Istanbul’s 'Airport City'
The mixed-use development will be adjacent to the Istanbul New Airport, which is currently under construction.
Airports | Sep 30, 2015
Takeoff! 5 ways high-flyin' airports are designing for rapid growth
Nimble designs, and technology that humanizes the passenger experience, are letting airports concentrate on providing service and generating revenue.
Airports | Sep 23, 2015
JFK Airport's dormant TWA terminal will be reborn as a hotel
After 15 years of disuse, the Googie architecture-inspired TWA Flight Center at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport will be transformed into a hotel. Gizmodo reports that the city’s Port Authority chose a renovation proposal from Jet Blue this week.
Giants 400 | Sep 17, 2015
AIRPORT SECTOR GIANTS: KPF, Hensel Phelps, Jacobs top rankings of nation's largest airport terminal sector AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest airport terminal sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Surveys gauge users’ satisfaction with airports
Several surveys gauge passenger satisfaction with airports, as flyers and airlines weigh in on technology, security, and renovations.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Small and regional airports in a dogfight for survival
Small and regional airports are in a dogfight for survival. Airlines have either cut routes to non-hub markets, or don’t provide enough seating capacity to meet demand.
