September 22, 2003
Eyesore on the Lake Shore
One week from today, the Chicago Bears open the new Soldier Field on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the only thing uglier than the Bears' on-field performance is the new stadium. Even Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin cannot refrain from calling it crashed spaceship (login: lipsmancom/lipsmancom).
This analogy is especially apt for the west side of the stadium, where a curved silver mass hovers over the once grand colonnades. The project was supposed to modernize a grand old stadium, but in effect all they did was shoehorn a modern stadium within the confines of the old stadium's outter wall. There is no continuity to the designs and the architects didn't even make an effort to match colors--the warm sandstone and the cold steel and glass stand in stark contrast.
While the city is busy railing against the stadium's exterior, the interior has received much praise for the doubling of concession stands and restrooms, as well as the intimate feel of the stadium. It should feel intimate, considering that the new stadium seats 5,000 less than the old one did! So in a football town, where people have packed the stadium in below zero wind chills to watch a horrible team, they decide to make do with less seating. And don't think that they accomplished that by reducing the number of luxury suites or club seats. Nope, it's the average fan who will now have an even more difficult time getting inside the new stadium.
Posted by blipsman at September 22, 2003 09:52 AM