Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games emphasized environmental sustainability, social impact, and Olympic legacy.

Asked by the 2016 committee to propose how to repurpose elements of the main stadium, the design team partnered with Whirlwind Wheelchair International and suggested turning 60,000 seats into wheelchairs.

The team created stadium seats that met long-term requirements first—wheelchair seating—and short-term requirements second—Olympic seating. Post-Games, the city would ship the chairs to developing countries using Whirlwind’s extensive distribution network.