Chicago 2016 Olympics Stadium-Seat Repurposing Project

Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games emphasized environmental sustainability, social impact and Olympic legacy. When asked by the 2016 committee to propose how to repurpose elements of the main stadium, the design team suggested turning 60,000 seats into wheelchairs, which would be shipped to developing countries after the games.

Contact: Katie Clark: kclark@ideo.com

Credit: Elizabeth Spenko, Andrew Burroughs, Travis Lee, Warit Tulyathorn, John Grimley and Beau Bergeron of IDEO; Whirlwind Wheelchair International Team of Whirlwind Wheelchair International; and McKinsey Team of McKinsey & Company for Chicago 2016