SOM, under the direction of the City of Chicago and Chicago 2016, participated in the development of the physical plan for Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Coordinating with dozens of architects, planners, engineers, and construction firms, SOM was a key contributor both in the international phase of the bid and in the planning effort that resulted in Chicago being selected to represent the United States during the domestic phase of the bid. The plan places most venues within an easy walk of transit and close to both downtown Chicago and the lakefront.

At the geographic center of the plan is the Olympic Village, which was designed to provide housing, training, and support facilities for athletes. As a firm with multi-disciplinary expertise in urban planning and large scale projects, SOM developed conceptual planning for a Village that would, following the Games, be transformed into a mixed-use mixed-income community designed to revitalize the area and reconnect adjacent neighborhoods to the lakefront. Compactness, accessibility to transit, and integration into both downtown and the lakefront are guiding principles of the plan.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 2009

Project Awards

2009 • AIA - Chicago Chapter • Honor Award