I really like it. That curved end elevation on the north especially feels very Nordic to me, like something Aalto or Saarinen would do. The interior with the big barrel vault reminds me of the old
Willow Run airport outside Detroit.
I also appreciate all the wood tones, I've seen that in some mid-budget airports like MCI and MSY but big-city terminals at LGA, SFO etc are very sleek and cold-feeling. Given Chicago's gloomy weather I think a little bit of "hygge" in the airport goes a long way. Hell, they should even put in some fireplaces and oversized armchairs!
I don't love how the sterile corridor is glassed-in, though. Similar corridors I've seen in Madrid and Vancouver are open-air, it makes the terminal feel a lot more spacious. Is there really such a huge security risk to an open-air corridor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomarandlee
Immediatly what I was thinking. I am guessing (more hoping) it will only serve as an interm solution until the airside transit train is built. Given unforgiving Chicago weather I hope they have enclosures that practically meet the bus doors. It is one thing to have to walk the tarmic on a sunny Carribean or Spanih island, it is a whole other experience to deal with Chicago cold and wins in mid-January, even if just for 10-20 seconds.
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Yeah, when the satellite opens the only customs facility is still in T5. So they will use the sterile corridor and the bus system to shuttle international arrivals over to T5 for a few years, until the new T2 is built.
I could be wrong but I don't think the train will be sterile though. They might need to build a sterile corridor in the tunnel alongside the train, with moving walkways. Or they just keep using buses, but going to T2 instead of T5.