This is not unique to ORD. Often the best you'll get is a coffee shop unless it's an international terminal. A lot still have nothing at all.

Though in your circumstance I probably would have wheeled over to the attached Hilton and had a meal there.

Chicago is shortlisting the architects vying to design the $8.5b O'Hare expansion. All well known firms with impressive resumes. SOM, Caltrava, Norman Foster, Studio Gang, and Fentress. Who does everybody want to be chosen? I think I'd like to see Norman Foster make his mark on Chicago. Will the O'hare expansion get its' own thread?

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/11/7...tect-finalists

I think each of the 5 finalists will produce something great, considering how much of a marquee project this is. I'm personally rooting for one of the five, as I may have a small personal stake in this project if they're selected. That's all I can say for now ;)

As excited as I am about this project moving forward, I'm still a bit sad that ORD will remain a cobbled together bunch of bits and pieces from different eras and designs. I'm sorry we can't have a change to tear it all down and start over with something really cool like IST is shaping up to be. I know, $$ count.

Thinking about Lounges. I have no doubt that UA won't build out a grand Polaris Lounge for INTL pax and a United Club as well. This is what they currently have in SFO. The UC could become the general *alliance lounge. UA already runs multiple lounges at ORD and I'm sure that number will only increase. They'll at least need one in each of the 2 new satellites. AA I'm not so sure about.

United already has a Polaris Lounge in Concourse C. It was the first one built, followed by EWR and SFO iirc.

But that's what Chicago is. A hodgepodge of architectural styles all next to each other.

For me without knowing anything about the designs my list would be:

1. Calatrava- I love his work even if it tends to be over budget. Chicago doesn't have him represented here. His organic structural expressionism would be a great addition to Chicago's pantheon of architectural diversity.

2. Foster- Only represented in Chicago with the Apple store. Another major addition would be very welcome and he almost always does great work.

3. SOM- Have the pedigree to do something special. Maybe a safe choice that won't be spectacular but should function well.

4. Gang- Has she done a major airport before? This is a wild card that could be spectacular but I'm not sure her firm could pull it off at least alone.

5. Fentress- Not really a fan of their work especially the Denver airport.

These firms have a lot to live up to after Jahn left his mark on O'hare. I'm sure they'll be pulling all the stops, especially with the budget they are looking at

T1 is pretty but the battalion of buckets that have to be deployed when it rains...

Eh, to a degree, but to be honest, Terminal 1 looks dated, and it's only 31 years old. Jahn's style vacillates between timeless and meh. The Mansueto Library at U of C is wonderful and I think it will continue to look great for many years to come, but Terminal 1 hasn't aged well.

Totally disagree, T1 is reaching the peak of the depreciation cycle, that's when everything looks its most dated. I for one love the ultra 80's design, the vaulted concourses, the steel, the neon, it's great.

I agree that with those who think that T1 still holds up remarkably well 30 years after its introduction. The ped tunnel especially has somehow held up very well and seems to be timeless even if the lighting technology is dated.

The only downgrade I would say it has had was the check-in counters where it used to feel much larger and open before the retrofitted the ceiling (for energy savings?) and put up the security area right behind the check-in. Both which were necessary and hard to get around but even I remember it being much nicer before.

I know that. My point was that it will be miles away from a lot of the new INTL gates, which the lounge is designed to serve. I suspect that by the time construction is finished, they'll turn that space back into a regular United Club and build an even bigger even bigger new Polaris Lounge in the newly constructed space. Of course, Polaris will have long since been rebranded...

I actually heard Jahn talking about Mansueto. He said that he wasn't 100% happy with the amount of steel and that if he had it to do over he'd use a much lighter skeleton.

The neon in the tunnel worked as designed for a very short period of time. In the early days it was glorious the neon was timed to specially composed that the public hated and immediately began to call "death music." I get it, you did feel like you were walking to your death. The music went, then the neon started to fail and was sort of put together but is very tamed down. Then the people movers got the "YOU ARE REACHING THE END OF..." announcements, then we got Rhapsody in Blue in an especially "plunk plunk plunk" version.

The main lobby was indeed ruined by new security realities. Showing my age, I remember when it was first opened. It had a great feel of space, and was designed for flyers to essentially walk through through checkin - I rememer each station had an individual conveyer for the luggage. You got your boarding pass, the luggage disappeared and you just kept moving right through. Those days, are long gone. I never quite got the "wall" which came later, I assumed it was to visually block the security area from the actual check in desks.

To each their own - I should clarify, I love the underground "Gershwin" tunnel, it's mostly the terminal above grade that feels like it belongs in an old airport in Uzbekistan. For a City that tries to "make no little plans", there is a lot of stuff that is far too bland and not representative of a global city that is trying to leave a lasting impression with bold architecture, even if it's just transportation related.

More International Service Being Added at O'Hare

"Officials from the city and TAP Air Portugal, the flag carrier of the southwestern European country, announced today that nonstop, five-days-a-week service will begin in June between O’Hare International Airport and the Portuguese capital."

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg...lisbon-service

TAP is good news. Air New Zealand started service today to Auckland. It's almost summer down there so a good time to go on a long trip!!

I see that the O'Hare people mover is now closed for year while upgrades are completed. If I understand correctly (and correct me if I'm wrong), the current remote parking lot station is due to be demolished due to a new runway approach restriction. If so, what becomes of the current remote parking? I don't see any obvious way to reach the new station other than a shuttle bus which would be a pain.

I'd assume Lot E becomes cheaper surface parking accessed by bus like Lot G. The Conrac has 2600 long term parking spaces (Lot F) and it's vertically expandable for more.

nice!