Construction has begun on Concourse D at O'Hare International Airport, led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, JGMA, and Arup. The $1.3 billion project is the first building in the ORDNext expansion, with construction management by AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa and expected completion in late 2028. The concourse reimagines the passenger journey from curbside to gate, supports both domestic and international codeshare flights, and accommodates varied aircraft to streamline connections for more than 80 million annual passengers. Design strategies emphasize sustainability through a minimized structural system, climate-tuned roof contours, skylit interiors, landscaped gathering areas, and orchard-inspired columns.
SOM, selected in 2019 through an international design competition, is leading the design of the $1.3 billion concourse. The project reimagines the entire passenger journey from curbside to gate, setting out to create one of the United States' first concourses designed for both domestic and international codeshare flights. With the capacity to handle a variety of aircraft types, Concourse D is intended to streamline connections, improve operations, and elevate the experience of the more than 80 million passengers who travel through O'Hare each year.
The design also incorporates strategies to address sustainability and efficiency. A minimized structural system reduces embodied carbon and maximizes open sightlines, while the roof contours and overhangs are tuned to the local climate to regulate temperature and daylight. Newly released renderings provide a first look at the architectural vision for the concourse, highlighting skylit interiors, landscaped gathering areas, and a structural system defined by branching orchard-inspired columns.
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