One of the busiest hubs in America has just broken ground on a sweeping new terminal project.
Chicago O’Hare has officially started construction on its new Concourse D, a $1.3 billion investment that’s the first phase of the airport’s larger terminal expansion plan.
The light and airy 590,000-square-foot building will house 19 new gates, more than 20,000 square feet of lounge space, and 30,000 feet of commercial space. The gates will all be designed for narrowbody aircraft, with the option to adapt them into larger bays to accommodate widebody planes if needed.
“With construction now underway on The New Concourse D, my administration is committed to building upon the airport’s legacy by delivering modern, world-class facilities that will elevate the passenger experience at America’s best-connected hub,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
The project is a collaboration between architecture firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup.
Passengers will notice significant improvements to the overall traveler experience compared to the current concourses at O’Hare. New renderings from SOM show a 40-foot-high atrium at the heart of the concourse that will connect the structure’s three levels. Crowning the atrium will be an oculus that filters natural sunlight into all three levels below.
Tree-like support columns will bring in a dose of style to the gate area, while paying homage to the former apple orchard that once sat on O’Hare’s grounds. In fact, the airport’s original name was Orchard Field, giving it the code ORD, still in use today. The columns support a curved, long-span roof—a design that cuts in half the number of support columns needed, giving the space more flexibility and easy circulation, according to SOM.
Curved walls and lines throughout the building are meant to reflect the bends of Midwestern rivers, the design firm says. A curved wall of glass will frame the Chicago skyline and offer a mixed-use seating area for travelers, while greenery and landscaping will be utilized to bring a dose of nature and calm to the stressful airport experience.
“We designed the new Concourse D to create a frictionless experience for travelers, on par with the best airports in the world,” said Scott Duncan, design partner at SOM. “The gate lounges feature column-free expanses for easy wayfinding, high ceilings to improve views and air circulation, and a daylighting strategy to help align the body’s natural rhythms–all to make the experience of air travel more pleasurable.“
Construction on O’Hare’s new Concourse D is scheduled to be completed by 2028. The new structure is one of two new satellite concourses being built at the hub, which are both part of the ORDNext overhaul plan for the airport. The project will also see the replacement of Terminal 2 with the O’Hare Global Terminal and the construction of a new Concourse E, as well as an underground tunnel to connect passengers to all the new facilities.
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