Jeanne Gang-led Studio ORD win New Global Terminal at O’Hare competition

The City of Chicago announced today that Studio ORD, a collaborative effort led by Jeanne Gang will design the new Global Terminal and Global Concourse at O’Hare International Airport.

Studio ORD is a partnership between Studio Gang, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), Corgan, Milhouse Engineering and Construction, and STL Architects. Part of an $8.5 billion expansion, the largest in the airport’s history, Studio ORD’s design will redevelop the existing Terminal 2 into a brand-new facility that will for the first time integrate international and domestic operations at O’Hare.

Studio ORD won an international design competition that the City launched in June 2018. The five finalist designs were unveiled in January 2019 and were subsequently displayed for public feedback at Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) and O’Hare’s existing Terminal 2.

“The new Global Terminal and Global Concourse is a critical project for unlocking both O’Hare’s potential to be a leader in aviation and Chicago’s future success as a contemporary, economically strong, and truly global city,” said Jeanne Gang, Founding Principal of Studio Gang and Lead Designer of Studio ORD.

“As a native 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.” Studio ORD’s winning design celebrates Chicago’s history as a city shaped by lines of movement and extends that legacy for the 21st century. Like the confluence of the Chicago River, the design’s converging three branches create a central hub that establishes a vibrant new neighborhood in the heart of O’Hare’s campus.

Curving to increase efficiency, wayfinding, and connectivity, the design’s tripartite form merges terminal and concourse into a single building. At the branches’ confluence, a dramatic Oculus welcomes visitors under a six-pointed glass skylight whose geometry references the Chicago flag. When seen from above, the building greets passengers with an easily recognizably Chicago icon: the city’s “Y symbol,” or Municipal Device, that represents the branching Chicago River. The $2.2 billion, 2.2 million sq ft Global Terminal and Global Concourse is expected to break ground in 2023.

“The City of Chicago called upon teams from across the city and around the world to lead O’Hare’s historic expansion, and Studio ORD answered that call,” said Mayor Emanuel. “During this historic competition, the world’s best architecture firms submitted their incredible visions for the world to see—with each of these five world-class designs strengthening our plans to bring O’Hare into the 21st century. Today we congratulate Studio ORD who has proven they have the experience, expertise, and the talent needed to work with the City of Chicago as we usher in a new era at O’Hare.” Source and images Courtesy of Studio ORD.