Studio ORD has been selected to design the new O’Hare Global Terminal and global concourse, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, after a competition that resulted in a list of five finalist firms. The Studio ORD architecture team will lead the design of the $8.5 billion expansion program for O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
Studio ORD will work with the City of Chicago and the airlines to design the new Global Terminal and Concourse. Later this year, a second team will be selected from a list of four remaining finalists to design two new satellite concourses to be built west of Terminal 1.
“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,” said Emanuel. “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.”
At 2.2 million square feet, the new O’Hare Global Terminal will be one of the largest and most cutting edge terminals in the nation. It will more than double the space at today’s Terminal 2, replacing it with an expanded, light-filled arrivals hall to feature: additional gates; more space for concessions, lounges and public amenities; state of the art new baggage systems; and advanced new technologies to improve security screening.
For the first time at ORD, the Global Terminal will integrate international and domestic operations, allowing travelers to more easily connect to domestic flights from destinations around the world from under one roof. Additional gate capacity will allow O’Hare’s dual hub partners, United Airlines and American Airlines, to grow at the airport.
“The selection of the team to design the O’Hare Global Terminal represents a first step forward in redefining the experience for travelers around the world,” said Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee. “While we congratulate Studio ORD, we applaud all of the teams for bringing forward incredible proposals, and thank the public for their input in this process. This project is a game changer for Chicago, and we look forward to ongoing stakeholder engagement from the airport to the neighborhoods as we embark on our historic expansion.”
