Chicago stadium fumbling with public
CHICAGO -- Not since 1967, when Picasso's sculpture was unveiled in the Loop, has there been so much controversy about design in this city. Back then, residents recoiled at the rust-hued mass of steel curves and rods, christened it daily with gobs of spit, and wondered what kind of gift the famed artist had made.
These days, the public sculpture in Daley Plaza is a respected city treasure. But the new Soldier Field, which opens tomorrow night when the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers play a professional football game in the stadium, is another matter.
The old Soldier Field, built in 1924 as a memorial to World War I veterans, was a white Grecian structure that over the years became a symbol of the nation's third-largest city. The old stadium held fast to a building rule that no tall structure should block the city's lakefront.
The new, sleek stadium of stainless steel and glass rises the equivalent of 15 stories and spills slightly over what little remains of the old structure. Last week, the architecture critic of the Chicago Tribune panned the design in a front-page review, denouncing the "Mistake by the Lake" and the "Invasion of the Stadium Snatchers."
From outside, the new look so far has not inspired much local affection.
"A friend of mine who is studying architecture was in town last week," said Brady Muller, 22, who works as a local caterer. "We had stopped at a restaurant and he asked the owner the absolute `must-see' structure in Chicago. And the owner pointed east and said `to the lake where there's a gigantic ashtray lodged in a football stadium.' "
The architects, Wood + Zapata Architects of Boston and Lohan Associates of Chicago, say they have created a state-of-the-art facility with floating scoreboards and seating offering breathtaking views of the city as well as the field. There are more toilets, more concession stands, more grassy parkland around the stadium, and tulip patches and a sledding hill. It was all built in about two years, for $632 million, mostly public funds.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, who lives nearby, and the Bears organization have long pushed for a new stadium. While other locations were briefly considered, the political powers in town decided -- without much public input -- that Soldier Field would be blueprinted for reuse.
Preservationists lobbied for a classical design that would fit with the old field. Critics howled at early renderings and small adaptations were made. But Daley moved forward.
Dick Lohan was primarily responsible for maintaining the integrity of what would remain of the old stadium. The Boston architects, Carlos Zapata and Ben Wood, were awarded the task of packing 61,500 seats into the new structure.
Crisscrossing the new stadium on foot Thursday morning, Anthony Montalto of Wood + Zapata said he is confident the field will eventually be appreciated. He gestured to the columns reflecting in the glass.
"We weren't going to design something classic. Architecture should speak to the future," he said. Asked whether the mayor has expressed an opinion, Montalto replied: "Yes, he loves it. He likes the contrast. He's happy."
From his Boston office, Zapata listened glumly to how Jonathan Fine, who heads Preservation Chicago, has described the stadium's construction.
"It rose like Jiffy Pop, growing and growing. All the while I wondered when it was going to stop. It's 151 feet tall! That's 15 stories on our protected lakefront!" Fine said. "But when all is said and done, beer will be sold, hot dogs consumed, toilets flushed, and life will go on in Chicago as normal. The way I feel about it is the way I feel about going bald. I don't like it, but I accept it."
Zapata paused and said, "How would anyone feel if they had to listen to that every day?"
Despite the criticism, Zapata said: "It's a fantastic building. Internally, it's a beautiful stadium. We have to move on; it's 2003, and it's a building for our time and our technology. Like the Picasso sculpture, it will grow on people. There are people who like it and people who are confused by it. That's part of life. My favorite thing about it is its simplicity. The scoreboards are floating as an extension of the sky boxes. They are framed by the sky and the city of Chicago."
David Lowe, director of the Beaux Arts Alliance based in New York and author of "Lost Chicago," a book on significant buildings razed in the city, predicted the stadium controversy will pass.
"People will get used to anything," he said.
