Studio Gang

O'Hare Global Terminal

Location
Chicago, IL

Status
In Design

Client
City of Chicago

Type
Civic, Infrastructure

Size
2.2 million sf

Sustainability
Targeting LEED Gold equivalent

Tags

The O’Hare Global Terminal is designed to celebrate Chicago’s history as a city shaped by lines of movement and extends that legacy for the 21st century. Like the confluence of the branching Chicago River, the design’s three volumes converge in a central hub that establishes a vibrant new neighborhood in the heart of O’Hare’s campus.

Smoothly bending to increase efficiency, wayfinding, and connectivity, the tripartite design merges terminal and concourse into a single building that is uniquely evocative of the city of Chicago. At the branches’ confluence, a dramatic Oculus welcomes visitors under a six-pointed glass skylight whose geometry references the Chicago flag.

Surrounding the Oculus is a rhythmic, pleated roof of long-span steel trusses. Clad in wood and emphasizing the building’s curving form, the pleats are spaced and oriented to maximize natural daylight and energy efficiency. From inside, their directionality gently guides passengers through the space. When seen from above, the building’s form greets passengers with an easily recognizable, distinctly Chicago icon: the city’s “Y symbol,” or Municipal Device, that represents the branching Chicago River.

“The new Global Terminal is a critical project to unlock O’Hare’s potential as a leader in aviation and Chicago’s future success as a contemporary, truly global city. As a Chicagoan, I understand deeply the importance of O’Hare to our city’s identity, and I am honored that my hometown has provided my team the opportunity to realize a design that can demonstrate Chicago’s unique culture, traditions, and diversity to visitors and residents alike.”

—Jeanne Gang

The roof is supported by Y-shaped columns spaced over 100 feet apart that distribute the structural load, maximizing open circulation and ensuring flexibility to accommodate change over the terminal’s lifespan.

A light-filled Mezzanine above the concourse houses ticketing and security for departing passengers. Culminating in a dramatic Overlook, the Mezzanine offers expansive views of the airfield beyond and of the neighborhood and gates below.

Beneath the Oculus, a vibrant new neighborhood unfolds around the expansive Central Green. With lush planters, trees, and comfortable street furniture, this is a flexible space that can support pop-up events, music, and informal gathering. The greenery extends through the terminal’s three branches, framing boulevards of restaurants, shops, and retail that together evoke a lively Chicago neighborhood street.