Terminal 5 Murals
The newly renovated International Terminal 5 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport features a dramatic entry wall and mezzanine mural commissioned by Westfield Group. The installation tells a story through three distinct chapters: "Gathering Together" upon approach to the security checkpoint, "Our City" down the entry corridor, and "Our World" above the central court area.
Thirst, led by John Pobojewski, imagined a unique statement that is at once visual tapestry and guidepost. The composition guides traffic to the right into the security queue with kinetic motion while surprising and delighting visitors with a reminder of where they've been and where they are going.
- Awards
- Chicago Design Archive 2014
- Client
- Westfield Group
Research
Image by NASA
The color palette for the entry wall is taken from a NASA satellite image of Chicago at night: everything is a glow in tans, browns, and golds.
The underlying grid for the entry wall is based on Chicago’s primary street grid.
Inspiration
Flight Patterns by Aaron Koblin
Data artist Aaron Koblin visualized real-time FAA data of flights from different regions around the world, which helped mark a seminal moment in "data as design."
As artists, we were inspired by how the map of the world can be recognized simply by tracing a straight line between every airport on the planet.
We recognize ourselves through our connections.
Credits
Photography by Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing