The Gensler-designed stadium anchors a mixed-use development along the Chicago River and will seat 22,000 in a soccer-specific design.
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.
