The team’s design emphasizes sustainability, improved passenger experience, and enhanced airport operations. Inspired by O’Hare’s history as “Orchard Field,” where the airport’s call signal “ORD” originated, the new global terminal is defined by light-filled spaces and amenities that reflect Chicago’s cultural heritage and vision for the future.
Upon entering the terminal, passengers are welcomed to a soaring, double-height gathering space, where clear sight lines lead through check-in and security. Skylights deliver an even, diffused light throughout, reducing the building’s environmental footprint. The check-in, security, and baggage claim halls are covered by a single, undulating, lattice-like long-span roof punctuated by skylights and supported by a series of elegant tree-like columns, recalling the site’s history as an orchard.
To meet the needs of travelers from all regions, the retail and concourse areas offer unique amenities to create a local Chicago experience. In the terminal’s retail and culinary hub, passengers can experience a taste of Chicago’s food and arts scene with shops, restaurants, and entertainment drawn from across the city, from Wicker Park to Pilsen, and Little Italy to Andersonville.
As a powerful hub for the nation’s top two airlines and their alliance partners, the terminal is designed for seamless operation, featuring dedicated facilities to smooth flight connections, increased aircraft gates, efficient baggage and other airline operations, and other state-of-the-art aviation technologies will make this terminal efficient to operate and easy to use.
Arup and SOM have collaborated on several notable aviation projects including John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4, SeaTac’s International Arrivals Facility, and Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 1.
Learn more about the team’s proposal here.
Jackie Wei Green
Americas Head of Communications,Los Angeles
