urban planning – DesignApplause

the shortlist announced for ohare international airport renovation.

Nov 15, 2018

above > the foster epstein moreno jv proposal

the city of chicago recently announced a $8.5 billion renovation of o’hare international airport including a new terminal that will be the centerpiece of the largest expansion in o’hare’s history.

to jump-start this vision, twelve global architectural firms were asked to submit proposals including danish architect bjarke ingels, studio fuksas of italy, chicago firms, gensler, hok, perkins + will, and chicago architect helmut jahn, who designed the stunning terminal 1 which opened in 1986.

a shortlist of five firms are highlighted below. two design contracts will be awarded: the winning team will design the global terminal and concourse. the second-place finisher is expected to design the satellite concourses. the eight-year project, made possible by the end of a 35-year lease with the airlines, would be paid for with future airline fees, and therefore would not require taxpayer dollars.

[ design objectives ]
> expand terminal and gate space
> replace aged infrastructure with state-of-the art systems
> introduce new technology and security innovations
> integrate domestic and international to create a seamless passenger experience
> enhance the passenger experience
> incorporate sustainability and enhanced accessibility features
> reflect the legacy of chicago’s innovation, architecture, and it’s diversity

[ scope of work ]
> increasing the airport’s overall footprint from 5.5 to 8.9 million sq ft.
> tearing down 55-year-old terminal 2 and creating a new global terminal
> adding 25% gate capacity at existing gates to accommodate larger aircraft
> increasing gate count from 185 to 235
> adding two new remote satellite concourses
> adding a tunnel to a new parking facility foreshadowing a future new terminal
> renovating terminals 1,3, and 5

while affirming the 14 project design objectives and scope of work expectations DesignApplause considers the heart of this project is replacing a 55-year-old terminal with a cutting-edge architectural solution that’s categorically a part of every world’s-best discussion.

[ uniquely different ] two concepts stand out: studio ord features ample neighborhoods and greenspace not seen elsewhere in terminals. foster epstein moreno jv boasts a world-first column-less concept under an extraordinary shell with a span of 550 feet.

[ wow factor ] one concept dominates: foster epstein moreno jv a space that pushes the limits of technology and truly lifts the spirits.

[ pro vs con ] what stands out…only one concept with zero con: foster epstein moreno jv.

[ shortlisted firms ]

above > the fentress-exp-brook-garza joint venture’s globally-minded terminal design for chicago provides an elegant, spacious, and sustainable gateway to connect chicagoans and the world with speed and efficiency. soaring spaces sparkle with sunlight and lift the human spirit. daylight and spatial composition guide passengers intuitively and purposefully. the latest technological advances shape a smart, seamless, comfortable, and unencumbered experience. from arrival to departure, every element of the new terminal is crafted to elevate the passenger, making their journey inspiring, engaging, stirring, and fun. our vision is to return the romance of air travel to all who pass through chicago’s o’hare.

above > foster epstein moreno jv / a joint venture led by foster + partners and chicago-based firms epstein and moreno. our design is based upon a sequence of memorable and distinctive spaces that create a gateway to chicago with architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive, welcoming and functional, in turn resolving the sophisticated security, airport and airline requirements in a way that meets the needs of both employees and passengers. three arches frame the landside of the building, merging into a grand single arch on the airside, thus dissolving the barrier between inside and out and allowing the spectacle of the airfield to be visible to all who pass through the gateway, and recapturing the romance associated with air travel.

above > studio ord / chicago is a city defined by motion; confluence – of our river, of trail networks, of railroads – has shaped our most vibrant civic spaces. studio ord’s elegant and efficient design for the o’hare global terminal and global concourse unifies the airport’s campus by converging seamless lines of motion across three terminals around a spectacular central oculus. this confluence becomes orchard field – a vibrant neighborhood that combines abundant green spaces with distinctive landmarks, bespoke retail pavilions, and diverse activity zones. richly layered and easily navigable, it captures the unique character of chicago and redefines o’hare as a 21st century international destination.

above > som / we have delivered global excellence in this great city, shaping chicago’s skyline, neighborhoods and public realm for more than 80 years. it’s said that our chicago buildings turn “pragmatism into poetry.”

our elegantly undulating o’hare global terminal aims to be the world’s best, through optimal functional planning, great design, and keen practicality – all quintessential chicago qualities.

we infuse the muscular heritage of chicago architecture and engineering with many lessons from the natural environment, to increase human comfort, save energy and define a distinctive sense of place. this can be chicago’s next great building and our new gateway to the world.

above > santiago calatrava, llc / o’hare’s global terminal by santiago calatrava is a masterwork of modern terminal architecture. with a glass façade and dramatic shell-like roof soaring over the approach road, the building unifies the terminal complex while establishing itself as its centerpiece.

inside, vaulted, light-filled spaces celebrate both the grandeur and simplicity of bygone travel as customers move easily to and from gate areas enlivened by chicago-focused concessions in an airy, park-like setting.

convenient links to adjacent terminals, satellite concourses, and public transit support a future vision plan that transforms the area opposite the terminal into a vibrant hotel, retail and business complex.

somewhat unusual is the jury is not being disclosed, not even to the architects. please stay tuned.

zaha hadid alleges collusion against japanese government and architects over tokyo national stadium.

Dec 22, 2015

responding to the winning proposal to design the tokyo national stadium, zaha hadid, who’s design won the juried international competition over two years, accuses the japanese government and local architects of collusion over tokyo national stadium.

[official zha statement] “we were honoured to be selected to design a stadium that would enable japan to welcome the world for the 2019 rugby world cup and bring the 2020 olympic games to tokyo, before becoming a new home for japanese sport for many future generations.

“sadly the japanese authorities, with the support of some of those from our own profession in japan, have colluded to close the doors on the project to the world.

“this shocking treatment of an international design and engineering team, as well as the respected japanese design companies with whom we worked, was not about design or budget. in fact much of our two years of detailed design work and the cost savings we recommended have been validated by the remarkable similarities of our original detailed stadium layout and our seating bowl configuration with those of the design announced today.

“work would already be underway building the stadium if the original design team had simply been able to develop this original design, avoiding the increased costs of an 18 month delay and risk that it may not be ready in time for the 2020 games.”

zaha hadid

above/below> kengo kuma’s winning concept incorporates the surrounding trees of the jingu shrine to create a stadium of wood and greenery. the roofing is a hybrid structure that uses wood and steel. the plan is for a stadium that cooperates with the surrounding environment and utilizes the latest technology to create a modern interpretation regarding japan’s climate, culture and tradition.

above/below> what defines toyo ito’s runner-up concept is it’s unique and feathery undulating roof and the 72 wooden pillars. the weight-bearing pillars are symbolic of japan’s tradition of building pillars to honor festivities and also reference japan’s 72 micro-seasons.

in the end, this project inspired two concepts, one a swank sculptural landmark that connects to the future, the other, a frugal nod to tradition that integrates with an everyday present.

somewhere in the research of this article, it was said that the track surface for kuma’s proposal will not pass olympic standards and the national stadium as is can accommodate the 2019 rugby world cup but not the 2020 olympics. but this is not confirmed.

so, each concept is not without controversy, the first led by credible rival local architects, two of whom were the winner and runner-up for the project. and both the runner-up and winner raise comments from even advocates that this is not their best efforts, suggesting a committee designed solution.

zaha does make a case for collusion with the following statement:

zaha hadid architects with arup sports won the international competition to design the new national stadium in 2012. the design was successfully used by tokyo in 2013 when bidding for the 2020 olympic and paralympic games.

zha and arup sports have been collaborating on the design with the sekkei joint venture that includes four of the largest design consultants in japan led by nikken sekkei.

the team selected in the new, restricted, competition includes azusa sekkei, who were part of the zha supervised original design team and focussed specifically on the seating bowl, and also one of the original contractors, taisei. taisei were contracted to deliver the ‘sunken bowl’ of the original zha/arup design (seating, access strategy, etc) and, along with azusa, had access to all of the detailed drawings, plans and work carried out over 2 years by the original design team.

this includes access to the detailed cost savings proposed (and associated design work) by the zha/arup sport including: reducing permanent capacity to 68k with temporary seats used to reach 80k; removing the retractable roof; removing air-conditioning from under each of the seats; removing the public walkway and viewing points around the venue,removing the permanent running track and removing the non-stadium functions such a convention centre, museum and gym. when zha proposed these changes they were rejected by the client and the team was eventually instructed to cease proposing cost-saving solutions. however, all these cost-saving solutions were adopted in the brief of the new competition.

zha wrote to the client on 21 august 2015 stressing that all the design work to date was the intellectual property of zha.

[ in-depth analysis of original zha stadium ]

chicago architecture biennial. 20 > 26 december 2015.

Dec 19, 2015

[ 20 > 26 december calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

‘chicago: how do you see?’ by norman kelley created an exciting feature on the windows of the chicago culture centre. photography: steve hall, copyright hedrich blessing. courtesy chicago architecture biennial

marshmellow sofa | george nelson | herman miller / 1956

[ pop art design ] an exhibition organized by the vitra design museum, one of the preeminent furniture and design museums in the world, pairs iconic design objects with artworks from this celebrated era to show the cross-pollination between these creative worlds. this glimpse of art, chairs, sofas, lamps, and even architecture during the culturally ebullient 1960s and 1970s. artists such as andy warhol, roy lichtenstein, claes oldenburg and mel ramos alongside designers such as charles eames, george nelson, ettore sottsass, achille castiglioni, and robert venturi.

event> pop art design
venue> museum of contemporary | 220 east chicago avenue
dates> 19 december 2015 > 27 march 2016

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter

apple & nike drawn to chicago river.

Dec 7, 2015

above> looking east towards lake michigan, orleans street bridge in foreground

last january 2014, mayor rahm emanuel gave notice that he envisions big plans for the chicago river. the news included continued development on the chicago river walk project and evening lighting concepts along the walk and the bridges.

below > rendering of mayor rahm emanuel’s proposed city lights competition in chicago | looking west, dearborn street bridge in foreground | city of chicago

below> june 2015, two new sections of the riverwalk opened to the public: the river theater between clark and lasalle streets | loop spy jennifer

october 2015, emanuel unveiled plans (the jetty) for the final six blocks of development along the chicago river’s main branch, from state street to lake street. this project, developed for the chicago department of transportation by sasaki in collaboration with ross barney architects and benesch engineers.

below > rendering of the jetty between wells and orleans streets | city of chicago

above> new apple flagship in the works on michigan avenue | renderings courtesy of chicago department of planning and development

november and december 2015 several big names feel drawn to the river – were they following river development the past 23 months? in november, apple announced a new flagship store, a glass pavilion with a michigan avenue street-level steps that spill down to the chicago river’s riverwalk. the architect for this project is london-based foster + partners. [ details ]

above> nike turned a barge on the chicago river into a floating gym

december 2015, nike, nearing the culmination of its month-long #GetOutHere social media campaign urging followers to exercise outdoors during the winter, turned a barge on the chicago river into a floating gym. it’s important to keep in mind, this is a first, a major brand, heck any brand, using a barge ON the river, if only for a week, for the purpose of promoting their business.

worth mentioning, nike started planning a single national #getouthere event more than six months ago. chicago was selected as the location for this december event, per jim beeman, a nike vice president. “we always hold that chicago has some of the hardiest athletes in the world when it comes to battling the elements,” he said.

sadly, a very smart man, robert boudreau didn’t take into account that docking up on the river requires the usual red tape one might imagine. going back to september 2015, when the chicago architecture biennial was launching, boudreau, in 1974, wanting to build a 200 foot floating ‘outdoor concert hall’, was smart enough to hire esteemed philadelphia architect louis kahn to design it. he also was smart enough to ask the city of chicago if he could host concerts on the river walk in front of the steps of the river theatre during the opening week of the biennial. he asked the city just several days notice. a real shame it didn’t happen. [ details ]
anyway, floating a pop-up on the river is a no-brainer. please allow for the red tape.

below> point counterpoint ii | louis kahn

london underground station design provides a glimpse of the future. studio egret west.

Dec 6, 2015

transport for london (tfl) has released a design manifesto for their tube called the london underground station design idiom. available to the public, the 225-page at-a-glance vision statement offers a glimpse into the future of the transport service.

designed by london-based [ studio egret west ] and described as a “revolutionary new design vision”, the idiom touches upon numerous aspects of design, including architecture, color palettes, lighting and materials.

david west from studio egret west, said: “we are delighted to be involved in the london underground station design idiom project at such a pivotal point in the network’s evolution and to receive recognition for it already.

“not since the days of frank pick has there been such an opportunity to holistically rethink the network’s design approach.”

tfl says its ultimate goal is to provide travelers with “welcoming, comfortable and straightforward journeys”, and has outlined nine key principles of design.

achieve balance across the network
look beyond the bostwick gate
consider wholeness
prioritise comfort for staff and customers
delight and surprise
use materials to create atmospheric spaces
create ambience with lighting
integrate products and services
prepare for the future

click on image to engage lightbox | 10 images courtesy of studio egret west

the london underground station design idiom has been shortlisted for the [ london design awards ] in the category of architecture – proposed. an exhibition of the idiom is on at the platform gallery behind southwark underground station. [ the london underground station design idiom ]

chicago architecture biennial. 6 > 12 december 2015.

Dec 5, 2015

[ 6 > 12 december calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

‘casa a’ by selgascano + helloeverything was placed in one of the two largest rooms of the centre, being one of the several full scale housing mock-ups at the show. photography: steve hall, copyright hedrich blessing. courtesy chicago architecture biennial.

can educational partners come together under one roof to create a new model for learning in chicago?

chicago architecture foundation (caf) posed this question through chidesign, an open international ideas competition. design proposals submitted to this competition are presented here with the jury-awarded winners highlighted below. these ideas draw attention to the importance of rethinking urban education and next generation cultural institutions. as cities search for solutions to complex issues around space and resource management, caf is committed to advancing this important community dialogue. see the [ winners ] installation thru 3 january 2016 | chicago architecture foundation | 224 south michigan avenue | #chidesigncaf

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter

chicago architecture biennial. 29 november > 5 december 2015.

Nov 28, 2015

[ 29 november > 5 december calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

‘s house’ by vo trong nghia architects is another full scale installation that depicts a housing model for vietnam’s mekong river. photography: tom harris, copyright hedrich blessing. courtesy chicago architecture biennial

the main floor of the stony island arts bank will be used for exhibitions, like the current show by carlos bunga. courtesy chicago architecture biennial. image steve hall

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter

chicago architecture biennial. 22 > 28 november 2015.

Nov 22, 2015

[ 22 > 28 november calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

Color(ed) Theory’ by Amanda Williams is a project that sees the artist paint abandoned buildings in Chicago in bright colours. Photography: Steve Hall, copyright Hedrich Blessing. Courtesy Chicago Architecture Biennial.

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter

2015 chicago architecture biennial events 15>21 november.

Nov 14, 2015

[ 15 > 21 november calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

‘makeshift’ by studio albori was another of the several site-specific installations commissioned by the biennial. photography: tom harris, copyright hedrich blessing. courtesy chicago architecture biennial

[ outlying exhibits ] Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin gives his spin on the architecture biennial’s outlying exhibits offering evidence of the power of design. Theaster Gates Stoney Island Bank is just one. (below)

the refurbished stony island arts bank at 68th street and stony island avenue houses the magazine and book collection of john h. johnson, founder of ebony and jet magazines. the brainchild of artist and urban planner theaster gates, the arts bank is vision of culture as an urban change agent / photo courtesy chicago tribune/ phil velasquez

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter

2015 chicago architecture biennial events 8>14 november.

Nov 7, 2015

[ 8 > 14 november calendar ] The Chicago Architecture Biennial is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. The event is supported by the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, with additional support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Park District. All funding for the event is privately raised, with significant investments from BP and SC Johnson.

‘Sustainable Housing’ by Tatiana Bilbao SC was one of the few full scale houses reconstructed for the show. It is a prototype for affordable housing for the architect’s home country of Mexico. Photography: Tom Harris, copyright Hedrich Blessing. Courtesy Chicago Architecture Biennial

The Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design Fair (SOFA) is the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design.

Critically acclaimed and continuously running since 1994, what distinguishes SOFA from other top art events is its focus on three-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design. Presented by art galleries and dealers from around the world, SOFA CHICAGO is open to the public and all artwork is for sale.

The fair also includes an acclaimed lecture series and special exhibits exploring the artworks on view and surveying new trends in the art world. A VIP program includes exclusive events tailored to high-profile gallery clients and collector/museum groups.

For a complete list of exhibitions, public programs, supporters, media partners and program partners, visit [ Chicago Architecture Biennial ] which launched 3 October 2015, and will run through 3 January 3 2016. @chicagobiennial @GrahamFound @ChiCulturCenter