Historic Soldier Field No More?

[boiker]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...l=chi-news-hed

Setting a flying saucer stadium inside the classical columns of Soldier Field destroyed its historic character, so the structure should be stripped of its National Historic Landmark status, federal architecture analysts said this week.

The National Park Service on Tuesday sent its recommendation to withdraw landmark status, the highest honor the government bestows on buildings and places, from the Chicago Park District, which owns the structure. Federal officials also recommended removing the venerable stadium from the National Register of Historic Places.

I expected this for while. I think that for this structure, context is as important as the columns. Now, the columns are placeless and don't have a solid identity with the field. I miss the high-class appearance of soldier field from the outside and inside. This would be like retaining the front facade of a 2-story colonial and building a 6 story modern glass structure behind it. Incompatible, incongruent, and destructive to the historical appereance and context of the property.

[teshadoh]

I went to Chicago recently, and was looking forward to viewing historic Soldier Field. I couldn't believe what I was looking at, it truly looks like an illness that is spreading across the structure.

I understand there were only two paths the architect could take - try to conform to the architectual integrity of Soldier Field, but risking being labeled as noninventive or even a poor comb over. Or the more radical approach, design something so off the wall that it 'compliments' the original historic facility.

[michaelskis]

It looked amazing, now it looks like hell. Simple as that. I mean come on, what were they thinking? Yes, there is a ballance that could be created, but it looks like a Men in Black cover up.

[mgk920]

It looked amazing, now it looks like hell. Simple as that. I mean come on, what were they thinking? Yes, there is a ballance that could be created, but it looks like a Men in Black cover up.

Agreed. Driving by on Lake Shore Drive, it looks to me like they dropped a huge funnel into that ediface. I have no idea what King Richard II was thinking when he rammed it through.

OTOH, for 2/5th the cost, the Packers took the best attributes of Lambeau Field and really did improve on them, remaking their stadium into a genuine jewel, a shrine of professional sports and a true joy to visit and attend games at.

Mike

[Cardinal]

It is one of the most hideous acts of architecture in Chicago history. What's next, vinyl siding on the Sears Tower? A cedar shake mansard roof on the Marshall Fields Store? The effect would be the same in either case. Soldier Field deserves to lose its designation.

[simulcra]

What I'm confused? Have we stepped back in time? But no, all the posts are from today. This is kind of old news.

Personally, I really like the new Soldier Field. I don't really get all the criticism. I think it's just one of the things that, like the initially-reviled Eiffel Tower, will be appreciated in the future.

[jordanb]

Or it could be like the Sun Times building: considered "ground breaking" by the avant guarde when it was built, hated by everyone else, continued to be hated by everyone until it got nocked-down after a brief but still too-long life.

The point about this thread is that the federal designation is still in place but, just recently, federal staffers have advocated removing it.