A groundbreaking was held for the first concourse of the massive expansion of O’Hare International Airport, now known as ORDNext. The ceremony was attended by local officials and comes after months of site prep work ahead of foundation work. With this, also came a new timeline for the project that differs from the last time we covered the project.

The new structure, now officially known as Concourse D, is being designed by a team made up of SOM, Ross Barney Architects, Arup, and JGMA. Concourse D will bring 580,000 square-feet of space just west of the existing Concourse C, which will be the main point of access at the moment until the Global Terminal is complete.

A 65-foot long glass skybridge will connect the two, leading to a round two-story central hall lined by shops, restaurants, play spaces, and plant-filled seating. There will also be added lounge space on the second floor. This will all be illuminated by a central oculus, taking inspiration from O’Hare’s Rotunda building. Visit Chicago Yimby for the full article!