As the anchor for a new mixed-use development in downtown Chicago, the Chicago Fire wanted its new 22,000-seat soccer stadium to meet the expectations of a city renowned for architecture. Gensler principal-in-charge Kirk Funkhouser aims to make that happen on the exterior with brick, dark warehouse-style windows and exposed black steel, while inside features a steep supporters section and a wide mix of seating styles.
“The ownership and team wanted to create a building that had a timeless look around it, to respect Chicago’s architectural past, to look like it has been there for a long time and will be there for a long time,” Funkhouser tells me.
The fully privately funded stadium’s brick and warehouse-style exterior references the city’s history, while the black steel pays homage to the bridge across the site on the Chicago River. “I am excited to see how the fans respond to the building when it opens,” he says. “How are they going to live in this home we have designed for them? I am looking forward to seeing what traditions form before and after the game.”
The stadium history for the Fire has come varied. The team has had multiple stints in Soldier Field, played in Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Illinois, for two years and had a stint in the soccer-specific SeatGeek Stadium (formerly Toyota Park) in Bridgeview, Illinois. With Soldier Field home since 2020, plans call for construction on the new $650 million stadium to start by early 2026 and open for the 2028 MLS season.
The nine-acre venue will anchor a 62-acre The 78 mixed-use development along the Chicago River featuring new homes, dining, shopping, art, outdoor spaces, affordable housing and a half-mile riverwalk. Gensler’s Chicago office is designing the larger neighborhood (named The 78 because the development team hopes it becomes the city’s 78th neighborhood), allowing Funkhouser to work directly with colleagues to coordinate the interaction between the new stadium and the surrounding development.
With the river to the west, the north side of the stadium serves as the front door, opening to the development. The supporters will have their own entry on the southwest corner—Funkhouser envisions the supporters gathering north of the site, marching through the mixed-use area and down a monumental set of stairs toward Wells Street and then into the dedicated entrance. The supporters section on the south end will have 2,000 standing seats—there is an ability to expand the section over time—with the steepest rake allowed by building code, bringing them 30 feet closer to the pitch than the same seats at Soldier Field.
The 22,000-seat venue is broken out to just under 5,000 seats for premium and 17,000 for general admission. With seating on all four sides, the south end is filled by the supporters, while general admission is on the east and north (north seating is also 30 feet closer). Most premium seating is on the west with a variety of clubs, loge options and four different kinds of suites, with the suites 40 feet lower and 35 feet closer to the field than at Soldier Field, “bringing intimate gameday experiences.”
Funkhouser says a couple of the key elements of the seating include a club at the field level with another club within it—informally called the speakeasy. “Depending on where your seats are, you will have access to the main club and then access to this more exclusive speakeasy,” Funkhouser says. “A speakeasy and Chicago go hand in hand, and it is a very different look than anywhere else in the building.”
Chicago will also have a first for the MLS: field-level suites positioned between the player benches. Current plans have two suites between the two benches, with another suite flanking the other side of both benches.
Funkhouser says the seating mix offers a product for every demographic in Chicago. “There is a broad price point and hopefully everyone in Chicago who has an interest in soccer will take part,” he says. “We want this to be a community amenity.”
Owner Joe Mansueto is excited about the progress. “A world-class city deserves a world class football club—with a world-class home to match,” he says. “We’re building one at The 78. Our privately funded stadium is purpose-built for soccer to give our players an edge and our fans an incredible matchday experience.”
A roof is currently planned to cover the entire seating bowl, a mix of metal and membrane material to let more natural light into the natural grass pitch and improve the fan experience while offering protection from rain (and potentially snow).
An LED board—measured at 178 feet by 26 feet, one of the larger boards in MLS—joins two 60×24 boards in the northeast and northwest corners.
The northeast corner features a deck that looks out over the plaza, the river and the Chicago skyline. “The before and after experiences are remarkable and true to Chicago,” Funkhouser says. “I think people will find they are attracted to going to those spaces.”
The site will be accessible via four CTA “L” lines and the LaSalle Street Metra station nearby. The team also hopes to add a dock and water taxi stop.
“We know we have done our job really well when fans leave—whether the team won or lost—and are anxious to come back again,” Funkhouser says. “We know then we have done everything we can as designer to make the best gameday experience possible for everyone.”
A popular architectural river cruise offered in Chicago often turns around at the site of the new stadium. Funkhouser hopes the stadium becomes a key point of interest on the tour, a place where soccer fans and architectural fans can unite. “We think we will design a project,” he says, “very appropriate for Chicago and hope it is welcomed that way.”
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