Muller2 Conceives a New Security Checkpoint at Chicago Midway International Airport in Line with Major Expansion

2021 Best of Year winner for Transportation – Large

For travelers, an airport is a gateway to a new place. That’s something Muller2 held in mind when conceiving a new security checkpoint at Chicago Midway International Airport as part of a major expansion project. It sits atop a new bridge structure that spans Cicero Avenue, widened from 50 to 400 feet to accommodate ever-increasing passenger traffic, that holds an 80,000-square-foot TSA security pavilion, plus another 18,000 square feet for concessions. The design even makes room for screening technologies that, while not currently in use, may be added in the future.

In pedestrian tunnels connecting landside to airside, embedded lighting has a futuristic feel that furthers the idea of a portal to another destination. Farther in, the main waiting area has plentiful sun thanks to a clerestory window wall just below the sculpted ribs of the cathedral ceiling. It’s an example of how glazing was used only where it would have maximum effect throughout the mostly solid envelope, letting in light while avoiding excessive heat gain with energy efficiency in mind. In another innovation, operable glass walls with layered graphics can shield extra security lanes from view when not in use. It’s a new warm welcome for visitors to Chicago, and timely as air travel slowly returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Muller2: Kurt Ziegel; David Steel; Mark Stromber