- Year
- 2015
- Category
- Transportation · Airports
- Status
- Built
- Firm
- EXP
- Location
- Chicago, United States
"The new South Air Traffic Control Tower and Base Building serves the new southernmost runway at O'Hare International Airport. The design provides a simple, economical and durable solution to meet the operational needs of the FAA, while addressing the interest of Chicago in creating a sustainable and iconic image. The most striking aspect of the design is the simple extruded shaft - a break from traditional slender-shaft bulb-top towers. The form evolved in response to two primary challenges: first, the City's classification of the tower as a high-rise structure and therefore, the life-safety requirement of two exit stairs (previously only a single stair was required); and secondly, the FAA's need for easy access and simple geometry in routing critical cabling/electrical/mechanical services from the Junction Level into the Cab directly above, with adaptability to change as technologies advance.