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
| Oct 14, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021
2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.
The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021
White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners
A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.
Airports | Aug 13, 2021
Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal breaks ground
SOM designed the project.
Airports | Aug 13, 2021
Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal breaks ground
SOM designed the project.
Airports | Jul 26, 2021
NORR designs the UK’s first satellite launch Space Hub
The project will be located in Sutherland, Scotland.
Wood | Jul 16, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
Resiliency | Jun 24, 2021
Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]
New on HorizonTV, oceanographer John Englander discusses his latest book, which warns that, regardless of resilience efforts, sea levels will rise by meters in the coming decades. Adaptation, he says, is the key to future building design and construction.
Airports | Jun 9, 2021
ZGF unveils latest renderings of Portland International Airport’s main terminal
An undulating wooden roof highlights the project.
Airports | May 27, 2021
Grimshaw wins competition to design Shenzhen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub
The competition sought to find a design that created an integrated intermodal transport hub that could act as a new urban gateway.