City of Chicago unveils video for O’Hare Concourse D

A new video animation released by the City of Chicago is offering a fresh look inside The New Concourse D at O’Hare International Airport. 

“O’Hare has long been one of Chicago’s great economic engines, and The New Concourse D represents the next great transformation for our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This new gateway will strengthen global connections, create thousands of jobs, and showcase Chicago’s architectural excellence to travelers from around the world.” 

Designed by the Chicago-based firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabrel Moreno Architects, and Arup, The New Concourse D will introduce 19 new flexible gates built to serve today’s modern aircraft. Each position will be capable of accommodating either two narrow-body aircraft or one wide-body aircraft, boosting overall capacity while maximizing gate utilization. 

At the northern end of the 590,000-square-foot Concourse D is a 40-foot-high atrium-like space connecting the building’s three levels, marked by an oculus that directs daylight into the levels below, offering a warm, inviting, and well-landscaped seating area for travelers to enjoy. 

The building will feature tree-like structural columns, an elegant and functional design element, which also serve as a subtle nod to the apple orchard that once stood on the site where O’Hare now stands. At the south end of the concourse, views will look out towards the downtown Chicago skyline from what has been dubbed the Skyline Garden. 

The $1.3 billion Concourse D project broke ground in 2025 as the first part of ORDNext, the redevelopment plan that includes The New Concourse D, The New Concourse E, and the O’Hare Global Terminal, all connected by an underground tunnel system. The broader ORDNext program will deliver 14 percent more gate capacity, greater flexibility for hub carriers, and more lounges and amenities, all while improving operational efficiency.  

Construction crews at the Concourse D site are working daily, driving caissons, hoisting cranes, and installing structural steel, all while the CDA continues to operate the busiest airfield in the United States. The New Concourse D remains scheduled for completion in late 2028.