Silhouette was founded in Chicago in 2005. Our roots are deep in the city- the majority of the team are native Chicagoans several generations over, and the rest adoptive. This year we celebrate 20 years of being rooted in one of the most beautiful and inspirational cities in the world.

Silhouette has earned a strong reputation for successful RFP design and submittals in both domestic and international airports. Notably, the firm designed 15 winning concepts for the New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport, which opened in 2023. At Chicago O’Hare International Airport Silhouette has designed award-winning spaces for ChiBoys, Six Points Market, Metropolis Coffee, and Blvd & Branch that opened in 2024. Previously, Silhouette has designed spaces at ORD for Edwin Pearl Jewelers, Fresh Market, Jamba Juice, Smoothie King, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, as well as administration spaces at the airport for Etihad.

As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, with over 700 locations designed in 68 domestic and international airports, Silhouette Design Architecture proudly collaborates with leading brands and concessionaires and remains dedicated to pushing the design envelope, creating winning concepts for clients, and shaping exceptional, one-of-a-kind experiences for patrons and travelers alike.

For 20 years, Silhouette Design Architecture has been a pioneer in creating immersive concepts and brands that reflect a true sense of place—concepts that are visually striking, operationally efficient, scalable, and achievable. With a reputation for innovation and excellence, Silhouette has become a leader in airport dining and hospitality design, crafting hundreds of distinctive full-service restaurants, quick-service concepts, lounges, and retail spaces. In the past two years alone, 14 of these projects have been shortlisted for AXN Awards.

Founded in Chicago in 2005 by partners Scott Costello and Tara Carmichael, Silhouette was conceived as an integrated architectural and design firm, leveraging technology and a streamlined approach to deliver seamless project execution. The firm’s expertise spans architectural design, interior design, branding, concept development, graphics, rendering generation, strategic planning, and construction administration. Silhouette holds architectural licenses in 35 states and has NCIDQ Registered professionals on its team. With sustainability increasingly vital in airport environments, the firm has embraced leading sustainable design practices to meet client and regulatory demands.