Archinect - News

Dirk Lohan proposes domed Soldier Field renovation as Bears new stadium talks take off

2024-05-06T13:01:00-04:00

A proposed redesign of Chicago’s soon-to-close Soldier Field stadium from architect Dirk Lohan gained some press recently after the Bears NFL franchise debuted Manica Architecture’s $4.7 billion design for its new lakefront home. Lohan is the architect of its modern 2003 renovation (in association with Wood & Zapata), a project that ultimately cost Soldier Field its landmark status. He says the design alternative is at once cheaper and more sustainable than the current proposal that’s been targeted by critics but still backed by team owners and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Image: Lohan Architecture via LinkedIn

The proposed plan calls for a lightweight domed roof to be constructed over the structure, with 20,000 new seats added underneath and upheld by cables connecting to four exterior columns. Lohan, who also designed the master plan for the surrounding Museum Campus, says it "remains] true to the values reflected in the Burnham and Bennett Plans and the Chicago Lakefront Ordinan...

Lee Bey reviews Chicago Bears' revised new lakefront stadium plans

2024-04-25T19:00:00-04:00

However, check out the stadium renderings accompanying this story. Look at how big that thing is. The size almost makes the Museum Campus buildings look like neo-classical LEGO blocks in comparison. Judging from the renderings, the stadium looks pretty good as far as professional sports facilities go. It’s the right building but the wrong spot.

Bey’s effective teardown includes a slideshow of Manica Architecture’s new renderings for the reported $2 billion stadium, which replaces a scrapped plan to relocate the team to suburban Arlington Heights from its hallowed Soldier Field home.

Bey said Mayor Brandon Johnson's team "stood by as a private entity took the lead and told how the public’s lakefront would be redeveloped." The stadium is expected to be built on a three-year timeline, with the completed design made ready in time to kick off the 2028 season.

The White Sox are also mulling an upgrade closer to the South Loop that could cost upwards of $9 billion.

Chicago Bears reverse suburban stadium plans, will remain at Soldier Field site under latest proposal

2024-03-13T11:49:00-04:00

On Monday morning, several Chicago news outlets reported that the Bears want to form a public-private partnership with the park district to build a stadium and renovate part of Chicago’s lakefront museum campus to add more public space. That would presumably include knocking down Soldier Field, which has the smallest seating capacity in the NFL, despite Chicago being the third-largest market.

The team still owns a 326-acre land plot in suburban Arlington Heights, where they first proposed a new Manica-led retractable roof design in March of 2022.

For now, the Bears' new Soldier Field proposal is expected to cost $2 billion. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said it was "a testament to Chicago’s economic vitality."

NBC Chicago reported that 80% of Chicagoans included in a recent survey would prefer an enclosed stadium at the Museum Campus, which would turn Soldier Field into a park space while retaining signature architectural elements such as its Doric colonnades.

Chicago's White Sox MLB franchise is also in the process of seeking public approvals for a new ballpark away from their traditional home on the Southside that would require a $9 billion investment.

The Chicago Bears unveil plans for an enclosed new suburban stadium

2022-09-09T12:09:00-04:00

The Chicago Bears generated keen interest from fans and non-fans alike Thursday for a presentation of plans for a new domed stadium and entertainment district in Arlington Heights. Team officials drew applause when they said the stadium would be enclosed, and that the team would not negotiate renovations at Soldier Field while pursuing the Arlington deal.

The Bears President Ted Phillips said the team would not seek any public funding except for critical infrastructure and that the new stadium would result in greater seating capacity than Soldier Field. He also shared that the team was uncertain as to whether the enclosure will be retractable or not but alluded to mechanical problems and costs as a potential deterrent.

Previously on Archinect: Chicago proposes three alternatives to the Bears' planned Soldier Field exodus

The retractable roof feature and multi-sport entertainment focus had previously been a part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's recent last-ditch counteroffer, though the team’s “singular focus” on the 326-acre site in Arlington Heights means more or less the Manica-led project is a done deal as soon as approval and the additional outside funding can be secured. As of now, the entire project (excluding the stadium portion) is expected to take around 10 years to complete.

Chicago proposes three alternatives to the Bears' planned Soldier Field exodus

2022-07-27T12:32:00-04:00

Chicago’s last-ditch effort to dissuade its Bears football team from decamping to a new home in the northwest suburbs has yielded a trio of design alternatives after Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office released renderings for three proposed Soldier Field redesigns on Monday.

Two of the three options include either installing a dome or creating the capacity to do so in a fan experience-oriented renovation that could cost between $900 million and $2.2 billion to complete, according to figures quoted in the city’s plan.

Rendering of the 'Dome' proposal. Courtesy Landmark Chicago Interests.

The third proposes the creation of a flexible multi-sport layout oriented more towards concerts and other tourist draws. Further components of the proposal include major transportation improvements and the creation of a new public plaza to be located in place of the existing Solidarity Drive.

Rendering of the 'Dome' proposal. Courtesy Landmark Chicago Interests.

Rendering of a proposed transformation. Cour...

The Chicago Bears are soldiering on from their iconic home with help from Manica Architecture

2022-03-18T11:56:00-04:00

The Chicago Bears have selected Manica Architecture to help with initial plans for their proposed NFL stadium at the site of Arlington International Racecourse in the city’s northwest suburbs, team officials confirmed. David Manica, owner of Kansas-City based Manica Architecture, said he could not comment on the project. Interviews were held in late January, industry sources said. Overall, Manica Architecture has been on a hot streak.

The 98-year-old Soldier Field in the South Loop, the Bears' home since 1971, is being abandoned and recast as a campus-type “cross-section of heavyweights in the city’s business and cultural spheres,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The franchise has been looking for a way out of the iconic Neoclassical delisted landmark since nearly the beginning of their tenure there, and will now look to decamp to a former horse racing site in the city’s northwest suburbs.

Kansas City-based Manica Architecture will reportedly look to its $2 billion Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and HKS’ mixed-use So-Fi Stadium megadevelopment as models. The Bears now have to decide whether or not to break their current lease on Soldier Field, which would require paying the city a steep $84 million penalty should they choose to do so before it expires in 2033.