One Chicago Podcast – Episode Summary:

Guest: Gregory Van Horn (Production Designer, Chicago P.D.)
Host: Brian Lucci
Release Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the One Chicago Podcast features an in-depth, behind-the-scenes conversation with Gregory Van Horn—affectionately dubbed “Merlin” by the crew—who serves as the production designer for Chicago P.D.. Host Brian Lucci, a former Chicago cop turned producer, guides listeners on a literal and figurative tour through the show’s iconic sets, exploring the immense detail, authenticity, and artistry that goes into crafting the world of Chicago P.D.. The pair dive into Merlin’s creative journey, the unique challenges of designing realistic police environments, and highlight memorable moments from the production trenches—all spotlighting how set design becomes an invisible character in the show.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Greg's Path to Production Design

• Early Creative Roots:
  • Greg built elaborate forts and secret clubhouses as a child; loved drawing maps and castles.
    • “I had like a crazy little secret society in the basement of my tract home in Jersey...” – Greg (05:38)
• Formal Training:
  • Studied architecture at Princeton but discovered, after working on courthouse bathrooms, that he wasn’t cut out for architecture long-term.
• Entry into TV and Film:
  • Moved to LA for a creative leap, started in theme park design, then broke into set design via contacts and initiative (06:44).
• Break on Chicago P.D.:
  • Hired due to connections from Private Practice, with producer Mark Tinker vouched for his design skills despite Greg’s unconventional look at the time.
    • “Don’t let the long hair fool you. You can design the shit out of it.” – Mark Tinker, relayed by Greg (07:02)

2. Designing the Look and Feel of Chicago P.D.

• Understanding Authenticity:
  • Sets are inspired by real Chicago police stations, including personal touches like “trinkets or trophies” and a contraband knife board (08:16).
  • Authenticity comes down to “no accidents in this space.” Every sticker, hat, and badge has a story or origin (09:33).
• Emotional Impact of Set Changes:
  • Deconstructing familiar sets (e.g., removing Olensky’s hat after the character's departure) elicits real emotional responses from cast and crew (09:18–09:26).
    • “When you came in here and saw this place completely gutted, your heart kind of sank.” – Greg (09:18)
• Purposeful Set Details:
  • Voight’s office is arranged so the character can oversee the bullpen, making it “a sanctuary within the sanctuary” (09:50).
  • Even props not visible to viewers are meticulously placed to aid actors’ immersion and motivation (02:14, 34:39).

3. Crafting Key Set Pieces

• The 21st District Front Desk (18:46):
  • Kinetic design allows for choreographed movement, making scenes dynamic and realistic.
    • “It was visioned as, like a ballet, as a dance. The people were going to move from one place to another.” – Greg (19:39)
  • Includes real-world details: inventory logs, actual logbooks, DCFS posters, authentic keys, and a payphone—“because there is actually a payphone in the district stations.” (20:34)
• Interrogation Room and Locker Room (11:22):
  • Designed to evoke authority and psychological pressure, with deliberate choices like bench height, tamper-proof lights, hand-aged tiles, and even wall scratches to reflect detainee boredom or agitation (12:58–15:23).
  • “You can see that...this is not molded in here. We sit there and we scratch things that way. What would a guy in here do?” – Greg (13:21)
• Aging and Distressing Process:
  • Describes hand-layered paint, tea staining, weather splattering, and tagging to create authentic, lived-in spaces (15:23).
    • “We can go up to 6, 7 processes for dealing with an aging process.” – Greg (15:23)

4. Location Filming and Set Illusions

• Filming Around Chicago:
  • Over 70% of the show is filmed on real locations, from bars to apartments, with the locations team led by Patrick Muldoon finding and adapting spots all over Chicago (23:50).
  • “Sometimes people ask me what I do and I say, I’m a highly paid tourist in Chicago because 70% of the show is filmed on location.” – Greg (23:50)
• Convincing Set Builds:
  • Recalls building a chapel on stage so realistic even veteran crew and editors thought it was a real Chicago church (24:11–25:09).
    • “Arthur Fournet called and was like, where is that chapel? ...That was on stage.” – Greg (24:49)
  • Inventiveness: For realistic stained glass, Greg created a custom process sandwiching acetate, achieving remarkable light effects (25:42).

5. Creative Challenges and Artistic Solutions

• Making Simple Sets Stand Out (26:40):
  • Sometimes minimalist sets are harder, requiring added presence and storytelling power (26:47).
  • Notable builds: a water-holding well with camera-friendly features, fake brickwork layered with plaster for realism, and complex, hand-built tunnels for crossover episodes (27:44–30:49).
• Resourcefulness:
  • Used real Chicago tree cuttings and H Mart mushrooms when theatrical props failed (28:17, 32:55).
    • “Have you ever been to H Mart? It’s a Korean grocery store. I went to three H Marts around Chicago and bought every single mushroom.” – Greg (32:55)
• Balancing Realism and Artistry:
  • Struggles to deliver both on-screen aesthetics and authentic function, always starting with, “What is the purpose of this set?” (33:54).

6. Chicago as a Character

• Architectural Inspiration:
  • Greg draws from Chicago’s architectural heritage—Sullivan, Wright, van der Rohe—and specific neighborhoods and buildings for mood and detail (34:57).
    • “Chicago is an architectural powerhouse. It’s the birth of the skyscraper.” – Greg (34:57)
  • Finds endless visual inspiration translating into the texture and feel of the show’s environments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On set design obsession:
  • “It’s almost neurotic the way we do it.” – Greg (10:55)
• On set details for actors:
  • “Things that people are never gonna see. They’re never gonna see it on camera, but the actor knows it’s there.” – Greg (02:14, repeated 34:39)
• On realism and gallows humor:
  • “Can that body fit in a 55 gallon drum? I’m not sure, we might need a 75 gallon.” – Greg (02:28, 33:29, running joke)
• On emotional reactions to authenticity:
  • “When I first walked in this door...my heart, I got the chills.” – Brian (21:35)
• On crew-level authenticity:
  • “Underneath here are inventory logs that the front desk sergeant would do.” – Brian (18:46)
• On balancing art and accuracy:
  • “You want it accurate but you also want it to look good on camera.” – Greg (33:45)
• On Chicago’s value to the show:
  • “Chicago is amazing city… the Loop at the L Loop… you can look into people’s apartments… I just need to take it in… that really defines [the show].” – Greg (35:47)

Important Timestamps

• 05:06 – 07:37: Greg’s creative background and career path
• 08:00 – 11:22: Tour through the bullpen; honoring characters and personal mementos
• 12:13 – 16:44: Authenticity of the interrogation room/locker room; aging and distressing process
• 18:31 – 22:44: 21st District front desk—design function and immersive detail
• 23:13 – 25:09: Location selection and set builds that fool even the pros
• 26:40 – 32:07: Creative set-building challenges; wells, tunnels, root cellars
• 33:54 – 36:19: Artistic philosophy; balancing realism and style; insights on Chicago’s architectural influence

Tone and Style Notes

• Warm, irreverent, detail-obsessed: The episode features good-natured ribbing, mutual respect, and a shared love for obsessing over detail—both humorous and sincere.
• Relatable for fans and industry insiders alike: Explanations are clear whether discussing neighborhood bars or technical paint-layering tricks, always with an eye to what the viewers truly feel on screen.

Final Takeaway

Greg Van Horn (aka Merlin) and his team make Chicago P.D.’s world vivid, believable, and alive by fusing architectural expertise, artistic passion, local insight, and relentless attention to detail. Their work simulates reality so convincingly that it not only grounds the actors in the moment but also weaves a deeper, often unnoticed authenticity into the show, earning the highest compliment: even veteran crew believe what’s on screen. As Brian says, when you step onto these sets, “you’re in a police station. Now you’re in a police station. Like, come on, man.”

Fans and anyone curious about how TV worlds get built from the ground up will appreciate just how much magic goes into every corner of the One Chicago universe.